When I was reading the section in Book 2, Chapters 15-17 focused on wealth and riches and what having these does to a person, I randomly thought, What would Aristotle think of Batman?

Now, I admit I didn’t read the comic books and I haven’t seen the latest movie, so if there’s something in Batman lore that I get wrong, please forgive me. I think the reason my brain brought this to my attention was because Aristotle had such a huge issue with people who had wealth and were of good birth because they didn’t care about other people and were “insolent and arrogant” (154). In this case, Bruce Wayne definitely fits the description that Aristotle describes. Wayne is arrogant, pig-headed, and a playboy. The one thing that Wayne has going for him is he is not brand new money since his parents left behind their manor and empire when they were killed.

Wayne is “ostentatious and pretentious” like Aristotle describes those with wealth. Aristotle goes on to elaborate that they are “ostentatious because of luxury and the display of their prosperity, pretentious and vulgar because all are used to spending their time with whatever they love and admire because they think everybody else has the same values they do” (154). This is true; Bruce always has girls on his arm and uses his sarcasm and charm to get his way.

But now we turn to Batman, whom I’m unsure what Aristotle would say about. Batman, Wayne’s secret identity, is the champion of the weak. He spends his time seeking out villains and destroying evil so that Gotham is a safer place to live. According to Aristotle, though, all rich people are horrible people. Even though Bruce Wayne puts on the airs that Aristotle describes, it’s all just an act...a rhetorical act, one might say. Wayne wants to persuade everyone that he is this image of a spoiled little rich boy so no one suspects his secret of being Batman. It seems that he is the antithesis to Aristotle’s rule. Batman seems to fit into Aristotle’s opinion on power: “those holding power...are more earnest, because of being in a position of responsibility, forced to keep an eye on everything that relates to their power” (155). Batman is out keeping an eye on Gotham, which relates to his, or Wayne’s, power. But he is also protecting others the way he couldn’t protect his parents, so his power is elevated to another level.

So, in essence, Bruce way is wealth, while Batman is power. Within Wayne there is a struggle, which can be explained by Aristotle, and somehow makes Batman more awesome.