or why the Batman will not kill the Joker
In a crisis we are sometimes surprised that we act in a way contrary to the way we think we should act. This is because in our conscious and subconscious minds, we have a philosophy of action which forms the basis of our decision making and daily living. This philosophy may be articulated or identified clearly but for most of us, we are not aware of it. Such a philosophy of action is often acquired by enculturation.
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I appreciate this essay discusses the various moral positions that we may identify with. However looking away from the side of the angels, this fictional vigilante may be more about imposing his need for order in a disordered existence after his childhood loss. In that sense the batman character is our avatar for justice in what we know to bean unjust world. The Joker character is the primal representation of the random and cruel nature of life, and yet at an operatic level, the Batman cannot destroy the Joker as he embodies the raison d'tre of his own existence. Often I wonder whether our compulsion to "do good" is more about our internal emotional needs than the persons that "receive" our help. Without an audience, divine or human, what would we do? But i know the real reason why the joker can't be killed is because he helps sell comics and movies!!
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. You are right and its has often been suggested in many story lines that the existence of the Batman created the Joker.
I really like your statement that our compulsion to "do good" is more about our internal emotional needs than the persons that "receive" our help. This is so true in most of our altruistic acts.
True also about the part about selling more comics.