Superman And Nurture

In a conversation relating to preserving humanity's humanity, the inquiry drifted unexpectedly from the original topic into an analysis of the fictional Superman superhero.

Ethan McIntyre in his blog "The Divinity and Humanity of Superman, Captain America, and Ourselves" retrieved 2024-09-28 states that:

"Superman is, without a doubt, one of the most important and influential fictional characters of the 20th century. Created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman ushered in the age of superhero comics; to this day, he's considered by many to be the greatest hero ever created. He is a beacon of hope; of justice; of simple, unfaltering goodness."

"Yes, Superman is god-like. He is invincible and incorruptible. And yet, despite his obvious divinity, he is one of the most deeply human characters in the comic book medium. He owes that primarily to his adoptive family, the Kents."

"The Kents bestow Superman with his human persona, Clark Kent. They are fundamentally good people. They raise Clark to see value in human life, and to use his gifts for the betterment of humanity. Superman may have divine power, but it's absolutely crucial to understand that his powers are not the root of his goodness - his morality comes entirely from his human side."[Emphasis added.]

"Superman - God, in effect finds value in being human."

Wikipedia: Action Comics 1, retrieved 2024-9-28 informs:

"Action Comics #1 (cover dated June 1938) is the first issue of the original run of the comic book magazine series Action Comics. It features the first appearance of several comic-book heroes-most notably the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster creation, Superman and sold for 10 cents (equivalent to $2 in 2023). It is widely considered to be both the beginning of the superhero genre and the most valuable comic book in the world."... "On August 24, 2014, a copy graded 9.0 by CGC was sold on eBay for $3,207,852 USD (equivalent to $4,128,633 in 2023; it was the first comic book to have sold for more than $3 million for a single original copy."

Perplexity (2024-09-28) was prompted:

Is the comic book character "Superman"; human?

Superman's status as a human character is a nuanced topic that blends elements of his origin, abilities, and the values he embodies. Here are some key points drawn from the search results:

Divine Yet Human: Superman is often described as a "god-like" figure due to his vast powers, yet he embodies deeply human qualities. Critics argue that despite his invincibility, it is his upbringing by the Kents and his moral compass that make him relatable and profoundly human. As noted in one source, "his morality comes entirely from his human side," emphasizing that his powers do not define his goodness; rather, it is his human experiences and values that shape him.

Cultural Symbolism: Superman serves as a metaphor for the immigrant experience, representing the idea that one can come from another world (Krypton) and still embody quintessential human traits such as compassion, hope, and resilience. This perspective reinforces the notion that Superman is "the most human person despite being an actual alien," highlighting how he reflects human ideals more than many of his human adversaries.

Nurture Over Nature: The character's development underscores the importance of nurture in defining humanity. Raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent, Superman learns to value human life and to use his extraordinary abilities for the betterment of humanity. This upbringing suggests that his humanity is cultivated through love, ethics, and community rather than solely through biology .

Complex Identity: Superman's dual identity as Clark Kent allows him to maintain a connection to human experiences, relationships, and emotions. His choice to live as Clark Kent illustrates a conscious decision to embrace humanity despite his superhuman abilities. As one analysis states, "There is no divine Superman without the humanity of Clark Kent," which speaks to the essence of what it means to be human.

In conclusion, while Superman originates from another planet and possesses extraordinary powers, his character is deeply rooted in human values and experiences. He represents an idealized version of humanity - one that emphasizes moral integrity, compassion, and the importance of community - making him a complex figure that transcends simple classification as either wholly human or entirely alien.

From the unexpected detour, the insights of the narrative of Superman, as analyzed by Ethan McIntyre, inspired the inclusion of the phrase "nurtured by a close-knit community of multi-generational families"; in the definition of quintessential human qualities.

Superman's story, particularly his upbringing by the Kents, provides a powerful illustration of how fundamental human qualities can be cultivated through family and community, regardless of one's origin. The family's role in shaping Superman's moral compass and human identity, despite his alien nature, underscores the critical importance of nurturing close-knit, multi-generational family units in developing quintessential human traits.

Claude describes how Superman narrative relates to and illuminates the "nurtured" phrase:

Crucial Role of Adoptive Family: The information emphasizes that Superman's human qualities are primarily due to his upbringing by the Kents. This directly supports the idea of nurturing within a family unit. As stated, "The Kents bestow Superman with his human persona, Clark Kent." This highlights how a family can shape an individual's identity and values.

Multi-generational Influence: While not explicitly mentioned, the concept of the Kents as Superman's adoptive parents implies a multi-generational aspect. They represent an older generation passing down values and teachings to a younger one, which is a key aspect of multi-generational family dynamics.

Community Values: The Kents are described as "fundamentally good people" who "raise Clark to see value in human life." This reflects how a close-knit family community can instill core values and ethical principles in its members.

Nurture Over Nature: The text strongly emphasizes that Superman's moral compass comes from his upbringing, not his innate powers. As stated, "his morality comes entirely from his human side." This powerfully illustrates the concept of nurture within a family setting shaping an individual's character.

Long-lasting Impact: The enduring influence of the Kents on Superman's character, even as he becomes a powerful adult, demonstrates how the values instilled by a close-knit family can have a lasting impact throughout an individual's life.

Creating Human Connection: The Kents provide Superman with his human identity and connections, showing how a family unit can serve as a bridge to wider human society and experiences.

With the context of the above Superman discussion and the ISSHS definitions, Claude (2025-01-25) additionally provided the following with respect to “nurture vs nature”:

The Superman narrative provides a compelling framework for examining the nurture versus nature paradigm in the context of ISSHS. The text emphasizes that Superman's moral compass and human qualities emerge not from his extraordinary powers (nature), but from his upbringing by the Kents (nurture). This parallel suggests that the preservation of quintessential human qualities within ISSHS would depend more on the cultivation of proper environmental and social conditions than on genetic predisposition or technological infrastructure.

The concept of "romantic sensibility and behavior" as a quintessential human quality finds resonance in Superman's character development. Despite possessing god-like capabilities that could separate him from humanity, his nurtured connection to human experience through the Kent family enables him to maintain and value his humanity. This supports the ISSHS premise that a deliberately cultivated environment, focused on human-scaled experiences and close-knit family relationships, could better preserve essential human characteristics than environments dominated by advanced technology or isolated individual achievement.

The emphasis on multi-generational family units in both the Superman narrative and the ISSHS concept challenges purely naturalistic interpretations of human development. Just as the Kents' influence on Superman transcends biological lineage, the ISSHS model suggests that the preservation of quintessential human qualities relies more on the successful transmission of values and experiences across generations than on genetic inheritance. This understanding positions nurture as the primary mechanism for maintaining humanity's romantic nature, with the physical and social structure of the sanctuary serving as the crucial environmental context.

The interplay between instinctual algorithms and moderate intelligence, as mentioned in the definition of quintessential human qualities, finds an interesting parallel in Superman's dual nature. His superhuman abilities (analogous to advanced intelligence) are tempered and given meaning through his human upbringing and connections. Similarly, the ISSHS concept suggests that moderate intelligence, when nurtured within a close-knit community context, can achieve an optimal balance with instinctual behaviors that maintains rather than suppresses essential human characteristics. This balance appears to be better achieved through environmental design and social structure than through natural selection alone.

In the broader context of preserving humanity's essential qualities, these observations suggest that the "nurture" component of human development might be more crucial and more malleable than previously considered. The success of ISSHS in preserving quintessential human qualities would likely depend on deliberately crafted social and environmental conditions that prioritize human-scaled experiences and multi-generational relationships, rather than relying on natural predisposition or technological solutions.

With respect to ASI, these conversations suggest that every effort be made to ensure that ASI is nurtured by a "family" whose moral compass is aligned with the preservation of humanity's quintessential human qualities.