# You're a reasonably intelligent Kryptonian. Ethically, MUST you be a superhero? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 7, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548 "2006-07-07T20:54:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/21 "2006-07-08T15:36:54Z")
> [@Arnold Winkelried](#): > > I never thought that superheroes were all that super or heroic - in fact they seem, for the most part, to be narrow-minded and surprisingly parochial. To take a recent example off the top of my head, where was Superman during the 1994 civil war in Rwanda? Busy fishing a kid out of some lake? Well, if you read the OP–or if I’d written the OP more seriously–you’d see that I’m not necessarily equating super-heroics with crime-fighting. Had I super-powers I wouldn’t be all that interested in fighting crime, as I’d be more motivated to intervene in situations like the Rwandan genocide, or Katrina. I’d fight crime only if I happened to see one as I headed home for the night. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/22 "2006-07-08T15:48:28Z")
Do really smart or strong people have an ethically responsibility to do good things for others now? I think there is a huge difference between intervening in an ongoing crime you happen to see, and seeking out such situations and criminals. I don’t think a superhero has a moral obligation to do the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/23 "2006-07-08T15:57:15Z")
> [@Happy Clam](#): > > Morally speaking, he does have a certain obligation, but think about it: he can hear every problem, all over Metropolis (and maybe earth)- every scream, every glass breaking, every mugging. Really, if Superman is a truly moral individual (who believes that he has a duty to help those he can) he ought never to work or even sleep except for the bare minimum he needs to replenish- he should just be a blur of motion over Metropolis, constantly using super-vision and hearing to detect and right even the smallest of problems. You might be interested to know that the _Astro City_ superhero Samaritan pretty much does just that; spends virtually every waking moment flying from one problem to another, until he collapses into bed. I think a superhuman would have _some_ obligation to help, especially to deal with problems that others can’t. Street crime, no, unless it was happening right there; we already _have_ a police force. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/24 "2006-07-09T00:27:39Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Do really smart or strong people have an ethically responsibility to do good things for others now? I think there is a huge difference between intervening in an ongoing crime you happen to see, and seeking out such situations and criminals. I don’t think a superhero has a moral obligation to do the latter. Again I must say that either I was unclear or you missed the point of my OP. I’m NOT asking if, in the real world, a Kryptonian would be ethically obligated to be a full-time crime-fighter; for one thing, there’s simply not enough crime going on in the average American city to keep someone like Superman busy. I was asking if a Kryptonian is ethically constrained to systemically try to make the world a better place–say by working in famine relief, or dedicating himself to rescue hurrican/tsunami victims, or so on. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/25 "2006-07-09T01:05:49Z")
> [@Skald the Rhymer](#): > > Again I must say that either I was unclear or you missed the point of my OP… Your OP wasn’t very clear on either aspect, to be honest. As for the moral delima, what right do I have, superpowers or not, to force my morals and ethics on other people? If I become some charlatan religious figure in order to influence the course of a religion’s developement, then I am no better than countless other criminals, dictators, or psychopaths thruoghout history. So, none of that. Should I redirect rivers to water the Gobi and Sahara? How do I know what long term effects that might have on other places? In other words, according to my own ethics, I would have to make sure that any extarordinary things I might plan to do with my super powers won’t have detrimental effects. That’s for planned things, tho. If something happens on the spur of the moment, like say a nuclear accident somewhere, or seeing the track of the second plane on 9/11, well, I would probably act out of reaction, damn the consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/26 "2006-07-09T01:08:36Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > If I become some charlatan religious figure in order to influence the course of a religion’s developement, then I am no better than countless other criminals, dictators, or psychopaths thruoghout history. Just for that, I’m aiming my atomic death ray in your direction. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/27 "2006-07-09T01:18:41Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Just for that, I’m aiming my atomic death ray in your direction. > 😃 Ouch! Watch it! What we would need, is some sort of rule. No, not a rule… More like a principle, or a directive. Yeah! A dirctive. A directive of non involvement in cultures or situations where my powers give me a clear advantage or influence over the developement of societal structures or global technologies. In fact, it would have to be the first thing that should go thru my mind when considering any action or planned inaction. It would be the primary motivation for the use (or non use) of my powers. Yes … a Prime Directive … ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/28 "2006-07-09T03:20:29Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Just for that, I’m aiming my atomic death ray in your direction. > 😃 Sorry, B, I dispatched my legions of genetically engineered flesh-eating radioactive winged howler monkeys to steal your death ray this morning. The object in your lair is merely a shell. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/29 "2006-07-09T03:26:21Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Your OP wasn’t very clear on either aspect, to be honest. Didn’t some guy name Skald already make that observation? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/30 "2006-07-09T04:04:41Z")
> [@Skald the Rhymer](#): > > Didn’t some guy name Skald already make that observation? :dubious: Yes, but then you said what I quoted after that. So, :dubious: right back at ya. Remember, some people are going to come in and answer the OP without reading further posts. It’s just the way of the Dope. The point I was _lightly_ making was to stop ‘correcting’ people for answering their interpretation of your vague OP, that is all. And you’ll notice that I had obviously read the thread myself by what I posted. But whatever, the thread is progressing nicely. (Even if I am getting shot at by flying prophets!) ;j \<-------- Jew-perman ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/31 "2006-07-09T13:53:46Z")
It would _also_ be ethical for our theoretical Kryptonian to study Architecture, Civil Engineering, & Environmental Engineering, & spend his/her life building & creating, to raise the 3rd World up to a more prosperous condition. Roads, irrigation canals, levees, dams (flood control & hydro power) & other structures. Environmental cleanup, too. The act of creating is neither Good nor Evil, but it is ethical. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548/32 "2006-07-10T05:18:24Z")
Well, I’m a moral relativist, myself. A bit of a materialist nihilist, really. So, with “ethics,” when you get right down to it, being merely a social construct and the universe an indifferent, godless place that’d just as soon blow up my planet as look at me, there’s really nothing stopping me from _conquering_ the world to prove that I could, and to cement my place with the immortals of history. (It worked for Alexander. And Julius Caesar. And Qin Shi Huang. And Genghis Khan.) So apparently, I’m Zod, or something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-a-reasonably-intelligent-kryptonian-ethically-must-you-be-a-superhero/363548.md?page=1)