The first look at the philosophy behind the Captain America comics and movies, publishing in advance of the movie release of Captain America: The Winter Solider in April 2014.In The Virtues of Captain America, philosopher and long-time comics fan Mark D. White argues that the core principles, compassion, and judgment exhibited by the 1940's comic book character Captain America remain relevant to the modern world. Simply put, "Cap" embodies many of the classical virtues that have been important to us since the days of the ancient Greeks: honesty, courage, loyalty, perseverance, and, perhaps most importantly, honor. Full of entertaining examples from more than 50 years of comic books, White offers some serious philosophical discussions of everyone's favorite patriot in a light-hearted and accessible way.* Presents serious arguments on the virtues of Captain America while being written in a light-hearted and often humorous tone* Introduces basic concepts in moral and political philosophy to the general reader* Utilizes examples from 50 years of comics featuring Captain America, the Avengers, and other Marvel superheroes* Affirms the value of "old-fashioned" virtues for the modern world without indulging in nostalgia for times long passed* Reveals the importance of the sound principles that America was founded upon* Publishing in advance of Captain America: The Winter Soldier out in April 2014.

Introduction viiAcknowledgments xiiiNotes on Source Material xivAbout the Author xvi1 Superhuman Ethics Class 1Utilitarianism 2Deontology 6A Civil War ... of Ethics! 10Virtue Ethics 13Virtuous Deontology ... No, Deontological Virtue ... Maybe "Deontovirtue"? 182 Captain America as a Moral Exemplar 25Can a Fictional Character Be a Moral Exemplar? 26Aren't Fictional Characters Liable to Be Perfect? 29Fifty Years, Dozens of Writers ... One Captain America? 343 Five Basic Virtues 45Courage 46Humility 50Righteous Indignation 54Sacrifice and Responsibility 58Perseverance 634 Honor and Integrity 76The Honor of Captain America 76External Honor as Respect 78Internal Honor as Integrity 85Principle and Compromise 88Duty and Sacrifice (Again) 965 Judgment 109Making the Hard Decisions 110Whose Right Answer? 115Tragic Dilemmas and How to Avoid Them 118"Black-and-White" or Red, White, and Blue?When Judgment Evolves 122Hitting the Threshold 1316 Principle and Politics 143Patriotism: The Captain and America 143Cosmopolitanism 146The American Dream Versus the American Reality 150"I'm a Hero, Not a Politician!" 153Principle over Politics 156Captain America in (Principled) Action 161Secret Empire/Nomad 161The Captain 163Civil War 1667 Can Captain America Help Us Achieve Greater Unity and Civility? 178The "Divided States of America," Then and Now 178The Three Core American Ideals 181Justice 182Equality 184Liberty 186Debating What We Disagree On While Recognizing What We Share 188Now It's Our Turn 193Appendix: Why Are There Seven Volumes of Captain America and Five Volumes of Avengers? 198References 202Index 221