Wow, I thought Christos Gage was just kidding when he had Hank Pym mention Superhuman Ethics Class in Avengers Academy #8 (noted here), but he was serious: in this week's Avengers Academy #10--pencilled by the incomprable Sean Chen, by the way--class is in session! And how do our students (and teachers) do? Let's see...
--- SPOILERS BELOW THE FOLD ---
Here's the page featuring the ethics discussion (courtesy of Comic Book Resources' preview of the issue):
I'm not so sure, guys (though who am I to argue with a hero named Justice?). If you're trying to maximize the number of lives saved, whom should you help first: the person least likely to save himself, or the person most likely to help you save others? Helping those leas able to help themselves may seem like the more noble option, but I think saving the police officer would, on the whole, be more effective. (Think of the in-flight safety instructions: when the air masks fall, put your own on first before helping others.)
It is no surprise that these type of decisions are a constant topic of discussion in moral philosophy, even in nonsuperhuman ethics classes. Such dilemmas raise such issues as value, trade-offs, and desert, depending on which school of ethics you use. But one constant is judgment, knowing which moral rule or standard to use in which situation, as well as when and how to use it, and this is necessary in all moral dilemmas, especially the tragic ones in which some sacrifice must be made.
Obviously, heroes want to save everyone they can, but they can't save everybody (or they have to decide who to save first), and in these cases they have to use their judgment informed by training and (eventually) experience. Even though Justice and Speedball disagreed with her answer, they agreed that Veil showed good judgment in that she thought through the problem in a reasonable way. Every person needs to make moral decisions in a way that is consisent with her moral values and maintains the integrity of her character. (Get it? Veil needs to maintain her integrity? Ah, forget it...)
And before I leave, I have to mention the hilarious exchange between Hazmat and Pym when she finds hersef in Anger Management class with him:
Hazmat: "Bad enough I'm being taught mental health by the craziest Avenger of all time..."
Pym: "A few points. One: The Sentry was crazier than me..."
And you have to love Hank's sly, breaking-the-fourth-wall look in the top panel!
(Let's hope the questionable state of mental health common to so many Avengers over the years--uh, Scarlet Witch, hello?--is discussed in The Avengers and Philosophy, now underway!)
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