Author Description
The Mismeasure of the Self is dedicated to vices that blight many lives. They are the vices of superiority, characteristic of those who feel entitled, superior and who have an inflated opinion of themselves, and those of inferiority, typical of those who are riddled with self-doubt and feel inferior. Arrogance, narcissism, haughtiness, and vanity are among the first group. Self-abasement, fatalism, servility, and timidity exemplify the second. This book shows these traits to be to vices of self-evaluation and describes their pervasive harmful effects in some detail. Even though the influence of these traits extends to any aspect of life, the focus of this book is their damaging impact on the life of the intellect. Tanesini develops and defends a view of these vices that puts vicious motivations at their core. The analyses developed in this work build on empirical research in attitude psychology and on philosophical theories in virtue ethics and epistemology. The book concludes with a positive proposal for weakening vice and promoting virtue.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How do vices of self-evaluation, specifically those related to superiority and inferiority, distort the pursuit of knowledge and intellectual integrity? Alessandra Tanesini, a professor of philosophy, investigates the psychological and ethical dimensions of self-perception. By integrating empirical research from attitude psychology with traditional virtue ethics, she argues that these vices are rooted in specific, harmful motivations that undermine intellectual autonomy and social interaction.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of superiority vices including arrogance, narcissism, and vanity.
- Examination of inferiority vices such as self-abasement, fatalism, and servility.
- A framework for understanding how these traits impede intellectual inquiry.
- Proposed strategies for mitigating vice and cultivating intellectual virtue.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the impact of these vices on the life of the intellect rather than their broader sociological or political consequences.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars in the field of virtue epistemology recognize this work as a rigorous contribution to the study of intellectual character. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a foundational understanding of philosophical ethics to fully appreciate the author's arguments.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
2021-01-01
ISBN-10:
0192602519
ISBN-13:
9780192602510
Philosophy
Psychology
Virtue Ethics
Epistemology
Virtue
Vices