The Virtues of a Hero : Virtue Ethics and the Divine in Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000

Abstract: This thesis examines how ethics and various conceptualizations of the divine are explored and expressed in contemporary fiction, and in this particular case, in Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000. It is meant to highlight the philosophical underpinnings within these works, and to discuss how readers and consumers of such fiction and media may be affected in their views regarding religiosity and ethics. This exploration is mainly done through the lens of virtue ethics, specifically Aristotelian and Nietzschean schools of thought, with the primary focus being on the heroes and villains of the respective works. This essay argues that in the case of both Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000, the Aristotelian tendency appears to be more clearly present in both works, while a Nietzschean perspective appears to be driving the villains of Star Wars and to some degree those of Warhammer 40,000 as well. How these ethical frameworks are linked to the transcendent reality described in both works is also discussed, with concepts such as Classical Theism being weighed against that of Pantheism. While fiction such as Star Wars has been the subject of research before, it has not been examined as closely through the lens of ethics. Warhammer 40,000 has only received limited attention, and this essay argues that the similarities between Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000 can most likely be established between other works of fiction as well, opening up for further exploration.