Catholic Philosopher Edward Feser offers up a post on masculinity and the Marvel Cinematic Universe which I found to be as entertaining as it is enlightening.
“Imagination, as Haldane uses the term, is a way of exploring aspects of reality and possibilities that are grounded in reality, even though it makes use of scenarios that are fictional or even impossible. Imagination is healthy and can increase our understanding of the moral and social worlds. Fantasy, by contrast, is unanchored in reality, and indeed it reflects a flight from reality and the discipline it imposes and responsibility that it entails. Haldane gives as an example the movie Pretty Woman, an absurdly unrealistic portrayal of prostitution and human relationships.
Fantasy can be harmless in small doses, Haldane allows, but when a culture becomes dominated by it, that is a sign that it has become decadent and unwilling to face reality. And the prevalence of superhero movies, Haldane says, is an indication that American society is increasingly retreating into fantasy and away from reality. He rejects the suggestion that such movies can be compared to the myths of the gods in ancient cultures. Such myths, he says, are essentially exercises in imagination, whereas superhero movies are sheer fantasy.
I think there is some truth to this analysis, but only some. Some superhero movies are indeed exercises in fantasy, but some are, in my view, clearly exercises in imagination…”
Excellent piece! Thank you for linking to this – it’s inspiring! 😃
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