On Esteem and Contempt, Etc by Baruch Spinoza
Spinoza distinguishes Esteem and Contempt, Self-respect and Humility, Conceit and Culpable Humility by the accuracy with which a person judges greatness, perfection, and imperfection. Esteem and Contempt arise when something is known as great or small, whether in oneself or outside oneself. Self-respect concerns only oneself and belongs to one who knows the true worth of his own perfection without passion or a desire for others’ esteem. Humility likewise concerns oneself alone: it is the recognition of one’s imperfection without reference to others’ contempt. Conceit occurs when someone ascribes to himself a perfection he does not possess. Culpable humility is its opposite: someone believes himself to have an imperfection that is not truly his. This does not include hypocrites who pretend to humble themselves in order to deceive, but those who sincerely mistake their own condition. Self-respect and true Humility are good because they give a person true knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses. Knowing one’s powers and perfection reveals what must be done to attain one’s good end; knowing one’s faults and frailty reveals what must be avoided. They therefore provide the proper means of advancing toward perfection and supreme bliss. Conceit and Culpable Humility, by contrast, are harmful because they rest on false opinion. Culpable Humility prevents people from doing what they must do to become perfect, as with Skeptics who deny that man can attain truth and thereby deprive themselves of it. Conceit drives people into actions that lead to ruin, as when those who imagine themselves especially secure in God’s opinion recklessly face danger and perish miserably. Esteem and Contempt require no further treatment beyond recalling what has been said concerning Love.
By Baruch Spinoza · First published 1660 · Genre: Philosophy, Ethics, Moral Philosophy · 672 words
First lines
We shall now proceed to speak of Esteem and Contempt, of Self-respect and Humility, of Conceit and Culpable Humility. We shall take them in the above order, and try to distinguish accurately what is good and what is bad in them.
Esteem and Contempt are felt in so far as we know a thing to be something great or small, be this great or little thing in us or outside us.
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On Esteem and Contempt, Etc is listed on Textopian as an essay by Baruch Spinoza, dated 1660 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Baruch Spinoza
- Date: 1660 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Philosophy, Ethics, Moral Philosophy, Psychology, Philosophical Psychology
- Length: 672 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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Genres
- Philosophy — The work is a systematic philosophical examination of esteem, contempt, self-respect, humility, conceit, and human perfection.
- Ethics — It evaluates passions as good, harmful, salutary, or pernicious according to their effects on human flourishing and rational conduct.
- Moral Philosophy — The text distinguishes true self-knowledge from false self-assessment and argues for virtues that help people attain their proper good.
- Psychology — It analyzes emotional states and self-directed attitudes, including humility, self-respect, conceit, and their practical consequences.
Tags
philosophy · ethics · moral psychology · human emotions · esteem · contempt · pride · humility · social relations · reputation · honor · shame