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<p>Acknowledgments: They Left It Entirely in My Hands ix</p> <p>Introduction: A Rorschach Test 1</p> <p><b>Part One The Politics of Power: Who Watches The Watchmen?</b></p> <p>1 The Superman Exists, and He’s American: Morality in the Face of Absolute Power5<b><br /> </b><i>Christopher Robichaud</i></p> <p>2 Can We Steer This Rudderless World? Kant, Rorschach, Retributivism, and Honor 19<br /> <i>Jacob M. Held</i></p> <p>3 Super-Vigilantes and the Keene Act 33<br /> <i>Tony Spanakos</i></p> <p>4 Superheroes and Supermen: Finding Nietzsche’s Übermensch in Watchmen 47<br /> <i>J. Keeping</i></p> <p><b>Part Two The Veidt Plan: Watchmen and Ethics</b></p> <p>5 Means, Ends, and the Critique of Pure Superheroes 63<br /> <i>J. Robert Loftis</i></p> <p>6 The Virtues of Nite Owl’s Potbelly 79<br /> <i>Mark D. White</i></p> <p>7 Rorschach: When Telling the Truth Is Wrong 91<br /> <i>Alex Nuttall</i></p> <p><b>Part Three The Metaphysics of Dr. Manhattan</b></p> <p>8 Dr. Manhattan, I Presume? 103<br /> <i>James DiGiovanna</i></p> <p>9 A Timely Encounter: Dr. Manhattan and Henri Bergson 115<br /> <i>Christopher M. Drohan</i></p> <p>10 Free Will and Foreknowledge: Does Jon Really Know What Laurie Will Do Next, and Can She DoOtherwise? 125<br /> <i>Arthur Ward</i></p> <p>11 I’m Just a Puppet Who Can See the Strings: Dr. Manhattan as a Stoic Sage 137<br /> <i>Andrew Terjesen</i></p> <p><b>Part Four This Is Not Your Father’s Comic Book</b></p> <p>12 “Why Don’t You Go Read a Book or Something?”<br /> Watchmen as Literature 157<i><br /> Aaron Meskin</i></p> <p>13 Watchwomen 173<br /> <i>Sarah Donovan and Nick Richardson</i></p> <p>14 Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis: The Ambiguously Gay Duo 185<br /> <i>Robert Arp</i></p> <p>15 What’s So Goddamned Funny? The Comedian and Rorschach on Life’s Way 197<br /> <i>Taneli Kukkonen</i></p> <p>Contributors: Who Writes about the Watchmen? 215</p> <p>Index: After the Masquerade 221</p>

<p><b>MARK D. WHITE</b> is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY and coeditor of <i>Batman and Philosophy</i>. </p> <P><b>WILLIAM IRWIN</b> is a professor of philosophy at King’s College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling <i>The Simpsons and Philosophy</i> and has overseen recent titles, including <i>Batman and Philosophy</i>, <i>House and Philosophy</i>, and <i>Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy</i>.

<p>Can we justify Ozymandias’s grand plan?</p> <p>Does Dr. Manhattan really know what’s going to happen in the future? <p>Is the Comedian actually a comedian (or just a jerk)? <p>Can either Silk Spectre be considered a feminist? <p>Does Nite Owl’s paunch actually make him virtuous? <P><I>WATCHMEN</I> is the most critically acclaimed graphic novel ever published and turned the world of comic superheroes on its head. This masterpiece of realistic storytelling, dialogue, and artwork, courtesy of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, raises a host of compelling philosophical questions. How do Ozymandias and Rorschach justify their actions? What are the political ramifications of the Comedian’s work for the government? How do we explain the nature of Dr. Manhattan? And can a graphic novel be considered literature? Whether you’re reading <i>Watchmen</i> for the first time or have been a fan for more than twenty years, <i>Watchmen and Philosophy</i> will help you read deeper into the philosophical questions and the revolutionary story that changed comic fiction forever. <p><b>To learn more about the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series, visit www.andphilosophy.com</b>

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