Probationary Martyr/Heroic Theory
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Heroic Theory is a school of thought said to have emerged in the universe of the MMO City of Heroes. It was first introduced in character by The Probationary Martyr as a subject of study at her school, the Paragon City Freedom Corps Academy. From there, it's grown and expanded to become a feasible and interesting area of study for anyone with an active interest in heroes.
Contents |
Introduction & History
Contemporary herologists have been striving to find the true origin of the influx of super-powers. Not until Statesman's appearance as such in 1931 had such grand skill been witnessed. The current heroic lifestyle seems to be greatly changed from its origins in Greek culture, predominantly focused behind the division of a hero's identity into an 'alias' and a 'secret identity'.
The school of Heroic Theory is said to derive from the teachings of Dr. Jonathan Argus in the early to late 1960's. Dr. Argus, a close companion and fellow teacher of Noam Chomsky, decided to apply the theories of the cognitive revolution to a long-time fascination of his: heroes. Before Dr. Argus' untimely death in 1978, there were rumors circulating that he had been meeting with the Statesman. In the almost twenty-year span of his career in heroic theory, Dr. Argus extrapolated much of what has been solidified into our working knowledge of heroism.
Heroic theory looks to explain the phenomenon of the hero, searching to understand and explain its origin. A large portion of the research is done through the field of cognitive psychology, which seeks to explain the relevance of a hero's perceptions and mental processes on his or her powers. Heroic theory spreads into many different fields: heroic anthropology seeks to find the tangible origin of the influx of heroes (a school the Statesman has repeatedly denounced), heroic philosophy addresses the significance of a supernatural power in the context of further universal understanding, heroic geneology seeks to find the genetic material responsible for superhuman abilities.
The phenomenon of heroism is said to have started with Philip Wylie's prophetic novel Gladiator in 1930, and skyrocketed with the arrival of the Statesman and what would become the Freedom Phalanx in the early 1930s. Today the Freedom Corps and other organizations have devoted entire departments to the development of heroic theory, one of the newest schools of thought in universities across the world.
Major Research Areas in Heroic Theory
Identity & The Hero
- Identity Division Theory
- Dissociative Identity Disorder & Heroes
- Cycle Theory
Heroic Psychology
- Attention and Filter theories (the ability to focus mental effort on specific stimuli whilst excluding other stimuli from consideration)
- The Cycle Theory
- Coping Patterns
Heroic Ethics
- Treatment of villains
- Treatment of heroes
- Fair & unfair demands on contemporary heroes
Heroic Anthropology
- Origins
- The transformation of the hero throughout history
Heroic Lore
- History
- Mythology
Heroic Biology
- Heroic Geneology
- Health & the Hero
Heroic Philosophy
- 'Superhuman' connotations
- Updated concept of the 'Übermensch'
- True origins
- Man and Mortal Theory
Heroic Theorologists & Influential Contributors
- Jonathan Argus
- Thomas Carlyle
- Joseph Campbell
- Noam Chomsky
- Marcus Cole
- William Eppler
- Sigmund Freud
- Jacob Neilson
- Friedrich Neitzsche
- Edgar Primgaunt
- Lord Raglan
- Philip Wylie
See also
- (Coming Soon)
