Batman the Noble Dog: The Costs of Spiritedness for the Individual and Society
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2019
Journal / Book Title
Politics in Gotham: The Batman Universe and Political Thought
Abstract
Batman’s self-imposed mission to rid Gotham City of its criminal element has always presented the problem of vigilantism. From the perspective of criminology, Batman’s methods raise the problem of whether society can be governed, or govern itself, with extralegal law enforcement. The problem presented by Batman’s behavior is often stated, as the ancient Roman satirist Juvenal famously put it, “quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” (“but who is going to guard the guards themselves?”).1 The threat posed by selfappointed guardians, such as Batman and other super heroes, has been frequently analyzed by scholars and fans alike. Yet, there is an additional, less frequently discussed, problem presented by Batman’s behavior: what are the costs to Batman and the citizens of Gotham from a guard who refuses to govern? In this chapter, the authors discuss Plato’s conception of spiritedness and analyze how Batman’s behavior affects his soul and the souls of Gotham City’s citizens.
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-05776-3
Journal ISSN / Book ISBN
978-3-030-05776-3
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Drake, Ian J. and Lloyd, Matthew B., "Batman the Noble Dog: The Costs of Spiritedness for the Individual and Society" (2019). Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 51.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/polysci-law-facpubs/51
Published Citation
Drake, I.J., Lloyd, M.B. (2019). Batman the Noble Dog: The Costs of Spiritedness for the Individual and Society. In: Picariello, D. (eds) Politics in Gotham. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05776-3_6