Mirror, mirror : the uses and abuses of self-love
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Bibliographic Information
Mirror, mirror : the uses and abuses of self-love
Princeton University Press, c2014
- : pbk
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Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Everyone deplores narcissism, especially in others. The vain are by turns annoying or absurd, offending us whether they are blissfully oblivious or proudly aware of their behavior. But are narcissism and vanity really as bad as they seem? Can we avoid them even if we try? In Mirror, Mirror, Simon Blackburn, the author of such best-selling philosophy books as Think, Being Good, and Lust, says that narcissism, vanity, pride, and self-esteem are more complex than they first appear and have innumerable good and bad forms. Drawing on philosophy, psychology, literature, history, and popular culture, Blackburn offers an enlightening and entertaining exploration of self-love, from the myth of Narcissus and the Christian story of the Fall to today's self-esteem industry. A sparkling mixture of learning, humor, and style, Mirror, Mirror examines what great thinkers have said about self-love--from Aristotle, Cicero, and Erasmus to Rousseau, Adam Smith, Kant, and Iris Murdoch.
It considers today's "me"-related obsessions, such as the "selfie," plastic surgery, and cosmetic enhancements, and reflects on connected phenomena such as the fatal commodification of social life and the tragic overconfidence of George W. Bush and Tony Blair. Ultimately, Mirror, Mirror shows why self-regard is a necessary and healthy part of life. But it also suggests that we have lost the ability to distinguish--let alone strike a balance--between good and bad forms of self-concern.
Table of Contents
Preface ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1 The Self: Iris Murdoch and Uncle William 12 Chapter 2 Liriope's Son 35 Chapter 3 Worth It? 44 Chapter 4 Hubris and the Fragile Self 61 Chapter 5 Self-Esteem, Amour Propre, Pride 79 Chapter 6 Respect 109 Chapter 7 Temptation 132 Chapter 8 Integrity, Sincerity, Authenticity 163 Chapter 9 Envoi 187 Notes 191 Index 203
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