The Homelander in Judicial Robes
A symbolic reflection on unrestrained power in constitutional democracy
Prof. Murillo Gutier
E-mail: murillo@gutier.adv.br
Abstract
This article examines the figure of Homelander from the series The Boys as a critical metaphor for the dynamics of unrestrained institutional power in constitutional democracy. The central thesis holds that the fictional character – a tyrant disguised as a hero who claims to defend democracy while undermining its foundations – serves as an illuminating mirror for certain attitudes observed in the contemporary Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF). The analysis draws upon the concepts of institutional salvationism, constitutional hybris, and moral solipsism to shed light on the dangers of a judiciary without effective checks.
The study introduces the concept of egoic self-restraint – a psychic precondition that precedes juridical self-restraint (judicial self-restraint), designating the adjudicator’s capacity to recognize that he is not the measure of the just. When this inner brake fails, moral solipsism ensues, in which the adjudicator treats his own conscience as the exclusive source of juridicity and the Law degenerates into a monologue disguised as jurisdiction. The essay further analyzes selective consequentialism and rhetorical cynicism as instruments for legitimizing arbitrary decisions.
In conclusion, it is argued that the “Homelander in judicial robes” is not an individual figure but a structural position that may be occupied by any actor who succumbs to the temptation of believing himself indispensable. The work advocates for the restoration of epistemic humility as a constitutional virtue, and emphasizes that mature democracies rest upon structures, not upon personalities deemed providential. Judicial self-restraint and collegiality are reaffirmed as indispensable preconditions of the democratic rule of law.
Keywords: Homelander; The Boys; STF; Juristocracy; Ministrocracy; Egoic Self-Restraint; Moral Solipsism; Constitutional Hybris; Institutional Salvationism; Judicial Self-Restraint; Epistemic Humility; Rhetorical Cynicism; Silent Erosion.
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