the superman/kent hypothesis: on the epistemological limit between human and superhuman
TRANSCRIPT
Vol3No1(2015)ISSUE – MarchISSN2347-6869(E)&ISSN2347-2146(P)
Pageno.57
The Superman/Kent hypothesis by Alexandros Schismenos Page No. 57-65
4.TheSuperman/Kenthypothesis:Ontheepistemologicallimitbetweenhumanandsuperhuman.
AlexandrosSchismenosPhDScholar
PhilosophyofScienceUniversityofIoanninaGreece
ORCIDiD: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8490-4223E-Mail:[email protected]
Abstract
EverybodyknowsthatSupermanisClarkKent.NobodyknowsthatSupermanisClarkKent.
Located between these two absolute statements is the epistemological limit that separates thesuperherofictitiousuniversefromouruniverseofcausalreality.Thesuperheroicdoubleidentityisasecret sharedby thesuperheroand thereaderof thecomic or theviewerof themovie,andquiteoften the superherowinks at the outsideworld, thus breaking the 4thwall and establishing thiscollusiverelationship.However,inourhypothesis,weareinterestedinSupermannotasafictitiousarchetype, but rather asa fictitiousmetaphor.Weare not interested in his double identity as thematrix of superheroic attributes and narratives, but rather as the differential limit betweensuperhumanandhumanwithinthefictionaluniverse.Because,thereaderortheviewermaysharethesecretidentitywithSupermanandalsowithSpidermanorBatmanoranyothersuperhuman,butthesecretequivalenceofSupermanandClarkKentcontainsanotherhiddenantithesis.
Keywords
Epistemology;Superman;Nostalgia;Ubermensch;Cognition