The Desire for a Superhero in the Social Imagination...

 

     

 

If you recall, several months ago, the topic of the hero was put forward. It was recognized that people, social actors, create ideal-types, a sort of measuring stick that captures the most rational and most essential components of any social thing. Ideal-types are never found in their pure form in real life. But, make no mistake, they do serve us in real life. 

 

How? They appear in the form of the ‘hero’. This is an individual person who overcomes a situation either for the group or for themselves. They can become legendary, a myth but also a real entity as the savior, rescuer, the hope giver... because, he or she has risen above given circumstances as an demonstration for all to rise above.

Max Weber wrote intensively on ideal-types. They are necessary for any society as ideal types formulate the realized conception of what man could and or should be within their given social and socio-cultural landscape. 

  

Max Weber observed that, individuals living in a well- defined group in a place over time, there exists not just an idea of who I am and am not among those around me and also how those around me shape my identity as a being in a group but a type, an ideal type of who I am and am not. This expression of identity belongs to all individuals in the group.

 

This does not mean that any one individual in the group thinks of themselves as an ideal type or that anyone among them is it ... yet some do arise to the call of 'hero'. Its more about their mutual agreement that an ideal type of them exists. This is arrived at through being in a place over time, generations of social interactions (real applications and abstract) that produce both successes and failures.

Weber, ideal-types rose out of that observed social phenomenon. Weber took it to another level as he defined those ideal types expressed in three forms of domination and subordination in action. The first type is charismatic domination, or power based on the exceptional qualities of an individual, such as his or her heroism or sanctity. The second type of legitimate domination is traditional domination, or power that is justified by a belief in long-standing customs in a place that work positively for the group in that place. 

Generally speaking, the hero is the overcomer, the one who rises above and this is not because the hero is determined to be a hero. In fact, the greater hero is not known unto him/herself as a hero nor to others until they are in the act of being one. This type of hero is the hero of old had meaning for everyone in his/her group. The real hero or the true hero is always the one who makes it through not only for him/herself but for everyone in their group... Moreover, the greatest hero of old, of all time, had and still has meaning for all people everywhere. 

 

Today's hero is an exhibitionist, he/she is the one who seeks to survive a process as a learning experience. In this sense, the survivor hero is simply the one who makes it through. There is no greater or just cause; just look at me and what I stand for; hence, the virtual signaler.

 

Today's hero is the 'lone' survivor as if no one else ever struggles or suffers and this is usually seen in a person who survives a bully encounter, an illness or accident or some malady. Not that the heroes of old didn't struggle with overcoming this world as it is... they did; but, they did it not only for themselves but for others.

  

Essentially, we should consider how the hero is even contemplated whatsoever... Does this icon in the social imagination serve a larger purpose? Why do we desire a hero and even a super-hero? Sure, you can hear people say that they believe in humanity as if humanity by itself is a hero. But, at every turn, we can read in the papers that humanity fails. Maybe that is why Hollywood is still putting out hero and superhero films. Of course, they put out every day Joe hero; but, they really draw the crowds to the ticket box with superheroes. 

Who or what is the superhero? Most everyone knows superman and a host of others that have all kinds of super powers. Such an ideal type truly overrides the plain ole hero. This type is super extraordinary to the point that death escapes them for all time. Believing in something or someone greater than yourself, greater than man is extraordinary. Atheists believe in either the state in this way or themselves. 

Different cultures also have such a type even if he or the multitudes don't offer eternal life. Or perhaps the superhero is just the ability to harness nature, or overcome the constrains of this world even if it is just because they (this or the many superheroes) can or it pleases them; thus their human 'non-superhero' followers applaud this with offerings and or sacrifices. 

 

Whatever... it does appear that man no matter who or where he is, desires a greater image of himself to help, to guide, to rescue and to live forever. How did man come up with that idea? Did it evolve? If yes, what would the point of that be? Wouldn't it be better in the chain of evolution that man just become man and live as a man and die as a man?

 

Why would he think that man is either everything or nothing in the great scheme of things? There must be a greater reason for his being just a man and that a greater reason has a greater cause and purpose and reach...if we just seek Him. The desire of our heart and our soul! Isaiah 26:8 ~ " Your name and renown are the desire of our souls."

Is such a superhero only in our mind? Isn't all of social reality? Our social reality exists in the social imagination... an information reality that uploads and downloads information... houses it, stores it, shares it, disables it and reclaims it. And, in that reality, we desire and even need to imagine that there is but one key source of all information which supersedes all other information in truth and in light.