"The characters don't know they're fictional, after all; from their perspective, Superman tossing a nuclear bomb into outer space is no less real than a firefighter saving someone from a burning building."
I disagree with this. The difference is that Superman can survive a nuclear bomb going off, where the firefighter can easily die doing his job. Superman is known to risk his life, but only for vastly higher stakes than a firefighter would. A firefighter risking his life for one person shows much more heroism than what Superman does on a daily basis, even if it doesn't actually accomplish as much.
Consequentialism: The belief that doing the right thing makes the world a better place.
Check out the Felicifa forum for more about Utilitarianism and other Consequentialist ethical theories.
"The characters don't know they're fictional, after all; from their perspective, Superman tossing a nuclear bomb into outer space is no less real than a firefighter saving someone from a burning building."
I disagree with this. The difference is that Superman can survive a nuclear bomb going off, where the firefighter can easily die doing his job. Superman is known to risk his life, but only for vastly higher stakes than a firefighter would. A firefighter risking his life for one person shows much more heroism than what Superman does on a daily basis, even if it doesn't actually accomplish as much.
Consequentialism: The belief that doing the right thing makes the world a better place. Check out the Felicifa forum for more about Utilitarianism and other Consequentialist ethical theories.