2014-12-25
Explanation
The Joke
Achilles, the legendary Greek hero, is asked by a philosopher (likely Socrates) whether he believes in the concept of ethical truth. Achilles enthusiastically affirms that he does -- killing is wicked, morality is absolute, and it could not be otherwise. But then he immediately announces his plans to stab Hector in the neck and enslave his family, describing these acts as "deeply, gooey wicked" -- not as reasons to refrain, but as reasons to relish doing them. When asked about the concept of justice, Achilles says "Of course! That's the thing my spear does!" -- confusing the abstract philosophical concept of justice with the physical act of punishing people with violence.
The Humor
The comedy lies in Achilles wholeheartedly endorsing ethical absolutism while simultaneously planning to commit exactly the acts he calls wicked. He does not see any contradiction because, to him, acknowledging that something is evil is completely separate from choosing not to do it. The final punchline deepens the joke: Achilles has no concept of justice as a moral principle at all -- he interprets it purely as a thing his spear "does" to people, reducing philosophy to violence. This satirizes the gap between professing moral beliefs and actually living by them, a hypocrisy common to warrior cultures (and arguably to modern life as well).
References
- Achilles and Hector: In Homer's Iliad, Achilles kills the Trojan hero Hector and drags his body behind his chariot, one of the most famous acts of battlefield cruelty in Western literature.
- Ethical truth / moral absolutism: The opening question references the philosophical debate over whether moral truths are objective and unchanging, a topic central to Socratic and Platonic philosophy.
- Scapegoat: The shield and spear visible in the later panels are iconic elements of Achilles' depiction in Greek art and literature.