At a time when the comforting and comfortable end-of-history narrative is being upended by a rapid succession of threatened emergencies, crises, and conflicts, and as the twin temptations to totalitarianism and rebellion are on the rise, A Hero in All of Us? offers a much-needed reflection on the meaning and status of heroism in an era of liberal democracy in peril. Through philosophical treatments of contemporary popular culture, this volume pits many of our commitments, longings, and circumstances against each other, putting them to the test, exploring the tensions between egalitarianism and excellence, agency and vulnerability, pride and vanity, justice and revenge, dignity and suffering, duty and interest—further considering the difference between coming to someone’s assistance and assuming authority over them. Formidably applying their thoughts to the realm of the imagination, the combined insights of these intrepid scholars yield a valiant and valuable contribution to the analysis of power’s well-intended uses and regrettable abuses by those who stand apart by standing up and standing out.

Travis D. Smith, author of Superhero Ethics, associate professor of political science, Concordia University

Every society needs heroes to help itself imagine how to act with excellence. And morally serious people in every society need to reflect on what their dominant culture is teaching them about heroism. A Hero in All of Us? is to be commended for helping us do just that by providing valuable analyses of some of the most popular shows shaping present day American culture.

Jonathan Ashbach, Oklahoma Baptist University

A Hero in All of Us offers a lively and scholarly investigation into American conceptions of heroes, anti-heroes, and tyrants by analyzing a variety of different genres of contemporary television ranging from horror, science fiction, and superheroes to situation comedies and historical dramas. The variety of texts explored from a fairly common set of themes offers insights that will be of interest to students of American studies, popular culture, philosophy, and critical television studies and to anyone interested in how Americans conceive of justice, heroes, and heroism.

Matthew J. Costello