Esteem and Self-Esteem in the History of Philosophy by Blank, Andreas; Németh, Attila;

Short description:

This authoritative and wide-ranging collection is valuable reading for students and researchers in the history of philosophy, ethics and political philosophy, as well as related areas such as history and sociology.

Long description:

The concepts of esteem and self-esteem are fundamental to understanding human emotions, ethics and psychology and are closely linked to ideas about respect and dignity. Latterly they have come to play a central role in contemporary debates about well-being and mental health. Yet despite having deep roots, the philosophical history of esteem and self-esteem has been largely neglected.

In this authoritative and wide-ranging collection, a distinguished and international roster of philosophers examine esteem and self-esteem in historical perspective and covering western and non-western traditions and thinkers. Comprising twenty-seven chapters, the volume is divided into eight clear parts:

• From Poetry to Philosophy


• Self-Knowledge and the Normative Foundations of Self-Esteem in Classical Greek Philosophy


• Interiority and the Transformation of Selfhood in Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy


• Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Esteem and Self-Cultivation


• Reputation, Virtue, and Moral Theology in the Medieval World


• Early Modern Moral Psychology and the Social Dynamics of Esteem


• Gender and the Politics of Self-Worth


• Esteem, Community, and Modern Social Theory.

Esteem and Self-Esteem in the History of Philosophy will be valuable reading for students and researchers in the history of philosophy, ethics and political philosophy, as well as related areas such as history and sociology.

Table of Contents:

Notes on Contributors  Introduction Andreas Blank and Attila Németh  Part 1: From Poetry to Philosophy  1. Honour, Shame and the Value of a Person in Pre-Platonic Greek Thought Péter Agócs  Part 2: Self-Knowledge and the Normative Foundations of Self-Esteem in Classical Greek Philosophy  2. Self-Esteem and Moral Progress: From Plato to the Stoics Georgia Tsouni  3. Esteem’s Value in Plato Alex G. Long  4. Seeing and Being Seen: The Phainomena of Virtue in Aristotle Philipp Mitsis  Part 3: Interiority and the Transformation of Selfhood in Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy  5. The Cultivation and Maintenance of Self-Esteem in Epicurean Philosophy Clive Chandler  6. Freedom and Conscience in Epictetus Attila Németh  7. “They Dishonor Themselves”: Plotinus on Human Value Lloyd Gerson  8. Augustine on “Pride” and Healthy Self-Love Bonnie Kent  Part 4: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Esteem and Self-Cultivation  9. Recognition, Respect, and Reverence in Ancient India Maria Heim  10. Social Esteem Exchange: Gong 恭 in the Mencius Winnie Sung  11. Distorted Selves and the Political Economy of Esteem in the Mozi Alba Cercas Curry  12. Notions of Reverence (kei 敬) and Respect (son 尊) in Tokugawa and Meiji Japan Ferenc Takó  Part 5: Reputation, Virtue, and Moral Theology in the Medieval World  13. Medieval Christian Authors on the Purposes and Perils of Reputation Thomas Williams  14. Magnanimity and Hubris in Dante’s Divine Comedy Jason Aleksander  Part 6: Early Modern Moral Psychology and the Social Dynamics of Esteem  15. Domingo de Soto on Secrets and the Natural Right to Good Reputation Andreas Blank  16. From Générosité to Acquiescentia in se ipso: Descartes and Spinoza on the Self-Consciousness of Freedom Noa Naaman-Zauderer  17. Self-Esteem, Amour-Propre and Amour de Soi: Pascal and Malebranche on Loving Humans and Loving God Syliane Malinowski-Charles  18. Of God, Wolves, Dogs and Monkeys: Esteem in Hobbes, Pufendorf and Thomasius Peter Schröder  19. Esteem and Honor in Early Eighteenth-Century British Philosophy: Shaftesbury, Mandeville, Hutcheson Ryan Patrick Hanley  20. “Nascent Society”: Love, Public Esteem and Morality in Rousseau’s Second Discourse Francesco Toto  Part 7: Gender and the Politics of Self-Worth  21. Tracing the Concept of Self-Esteem in the Long Indian Feminist Tradition: From the Therigatha to Stree Purusha Tulana Priyanka Jha  22. Esteem and Dignity in Feminist Arguments of the Early Modern Period Jacqueline Broad  23. Citizens, Workers, and Organizers: 19th- and early 20th-century American Feminists on the Value of Women Allauren Samantha Forbes  Part 8: Esteem, Community, and Modern Social Theory  24. Self-Esteem as the Foundation of Ethical Life: Moral Sentiment and Ethical Rationality in Eduard von Hartmann’s Phänomenologie des sittlichen Bewusstseins Gennaro Imbriano  25. Esteem and Self-Esteem in Ferdinand Tönnies’ Theory of Community and Society Cristiana Senigaglia  26. Self-Esteem in the Phenomenological Tradition: Else Voigtländer and Max Scheler Íngrid Vendrell Ferran  27. Erich Fromm’s Socio-Psychoanalytical Approach to Self-Esteem Cornelia Stefan.  Index