Robert C. Solomon
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134674
- eISBN:
- 9780199833733
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195134672.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
For most of my life, I have been dismissive of both spirituality and religion. I say this to make clear the perspective and the starting point of this book, this search. No doubt, many of my readers ...
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For most of my life, I have been dismissive of both spirituality and religion. I say this to make clear the perspective and the starting point of this book, this search. No doubt, many of my readers will think of me as simpleminded, trying to recover what I should have learned had I been rightly raised in the matrix of religion, ritual, and belief. Others, my friends from the field of science and most of my political friends, will think that I am benighted, or perhaps something of a sell out, for giving up my lifelong down‐to‐earth scientific, and admittedly hyperrational way of thinking about things. But if the very idea of spirituality seemed to me to be contaminated by sectarian religion and by uncritical and antiscientific thinking, my view of life, which manifested in my becoming a philosopher (it did not come from philosophy) pointed to something else. Spirituality is not just organized religion. Nor is it antiscience, unnatural or supernatural. There is a naturalized spirituality that I have always had a glimpse of, and this is what I want to pursue in this book.Less
For most of my life, I have been dismissive of both spirituality and religion. I say this to make clear the perspective and the starting point of this book, this search. No doubt, many of my readers will think of me as simpleminded, trying to recover what I should have learned had I been rightly raised in the matrix of religion, ritual, and belief. Others, my friends from the field of science and most of my political friends, will think that I am benighted, or perhaps something of a sell out, for giving up my lifelong down‐to‐earth scientific, and admittedly hyperrational way of thinking about things. But if the very idea of spirituality seemed to me to be contaminated by sectarian religion and by uncritical and antiscientific thinking, my view of life, which manifested in my becoming a philosopher (it did not come from philosophy) pointed to something else. Spirituality is not just organized religion. Nor is it antiscience, unnatural or supernatural. There is a naturalized spirituality that I have always had a glimpse of, and this is what I want to pursue in this book.
Robert Merrihew Adams
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199207510
- eISBN:
- 9780191708824
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207510.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Excellence in caring for one's own good had a central place in ancient thought about virtue, but modern ethical thought has often been reluctant to regard it as a moral virtue at all. This chapter ...
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Excellence in caring for one's own good had a central place in ancient thought about virtue, but modern ethical thought has often been reluctant to regard it as a moral virtue at all. This chapter argues that there is a form of self-love that is quite distinct from vices of self-preference such as selfishness, self-centredness, and conceit; and that is virtuous and not inimical to altruistic benevolence.Less
Excellence in caring for one's own good had a central place in ancient thought about virtue, but modern ethical thought has often been reluctant to regard it as a moral virtue at all. This chapter argues that there is a form of self-love that is quite distinct from vices of self-preference such as selfishness, self-centredness, and conceit; and that is virtuous and not inimical to altruistic benevolence.
Mark R. Leary
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195172423
- eISBN:
- 9780199786756
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195172423.003.0009
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
Having examined the many ways in which the ability to self-reflect can work against people's happiness and best interests, the book concludes with a discussion of ways in which readers can protect ...
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Having examined the many ways in which the ability to self-reflect can work against people's happiness and best interests, the book concludes with a discussion of ways in which readers can protect themselves against the curse of the self. Remembering the source of the problem — that we are living in the 21st century with a brain (and a capacity for self-awareness) designed for nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived 60,000 years ago — the chapter discusses ways of avoiding the dark side of the self. Because many of the problems discussed in the book arise from the self's incessant inner chatter, people can learn ways to quiet the self (through meditation, for example), and thus lower its intrusion in their lives. Furthermore, armed with the insights of the previous chapters, they can use the self's own ability to override its natural inclinations toward egocentrism, selfishness, egotism, and egodefensiveness. Perhaps most importantly, people can move beyond their narrow, egoistic views to a mode of self-operation that enhances rather than compromises their personal well-being as well as the well-being of other people and the world at large.Less
Having examined the many ways in which the ability to self-reflect can work against people's happiness and best interests, the book concludes with a discussion of ways in which readers can protect themselves against the curse of the self. Remembering the source of the problem — that we are living in the 21st century with a brain (and a capacity for self-awareness) designed for nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived 60,000 years ago — the chapter discusses ways of avoiding the dark side of the self. Because many of the problems discussed in the book arise from the self's incessant inner chatter, people can learn ways to quiet the self (through meditation, for example), and thus lower its intrusion in their lives. Furthermore, armed with the insights of the previous chapters, they can use the self's own ability to override its natural inclinations toward egocentrism, selfishness, egotism, and egodefensiveness. Perhaps most importantly, people can move beyond their narrow, egoistic views to a mode of self-operation that enhances rather than compromises their personal well-being as well as the well-being of other people and the world at large.
Karen C. Lang
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195151138
- eISBN:
- 9780199870448
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195151135.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Buddhism
Repudiates the mistaken apprehension of impermanent phenomena as being a permanent self and criticizes the selfish and egotistic behavior exemplified by a king and undermines the king's false pride ...
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Repudiates the mistaken apprehension of impermanent phenomena as being a permanent self and criticizes the selfish and egotistic behavior exemplified by a king and undermines the king's false pride in royal role and his royal lineage. Candrakiriti, in a lengthy criticism of the artificially created distinctions of the caste system, quotes the Buddhist myth of the origins of the royalclass, which explains class distinctions as job descriptions. He urges the king to repudiate harsh punishments and the exercise of war and engage instead, in meritorious actions by sharing his wealth generously and by treating all people with compassion.Less
Repudiates the mistaken apprehension of impermanent phenomena as being a permanent self and criticizes the selfish and egotistic behavior exemplified by a king and undermines the king's false pride in royal role and his royal lineage. Candrakiriti, in a lengthy criticism of the artificially created distinctions of the caste system, quotes the Buddhist myth of the origins of the royalclass, which explains class distinctions as job descriptions. He urges the king to repudiate harsh punishments and the exercise of war and engage instead, in meritorious actions by sharing his wealth generously and by treating all people with compassion.
Michael Suk-Young Chwe
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691162447
- eISBN:
- 9781400851331
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691162447.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter examines Jane Austen's views on what strategic thinking is not. Austen distinguishes strategic thinking from concepts possibly confused with it, such as selfishness, moralistic notions ...
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This chapter examines Jane Austen's views on what strategic thinking is not. Austen distinguishes strategic thinking from concepts possibly confused with it, such as selfishness, moralistic notions of what a person “should” do, economistic values, and winning inconsequential games. While Austen seeks conceptual clarity, she also emphasizes that she is not advocating selfishness or money-centrism or one-upmanship or anything as vulgar as telling young women “how to behave.” For Austen, strategic thinking should not be confused with a set of hackneyed prescriptions. The chapter explains Austen's claims that strategic thinking is not about selfishness, moralism, economics or economism, and winning inconsequential games.Less
This chapter examines Jane Austen's views on what strategic thinking is not. Austen distinguishes strategic thinking from concepts possibly confused with it, such as selfishness, moralistic notions of what a person “should” do, economistic values, and winning inconsequential games. While Austen seeks conceptual clarity, she also emphasizes that she is not advocating selfishness or money-centrism or one-upmanship or anything as vulgar as telling young women “how to behave.” For Austen, strategic thinking should not be confused with a set of hackneyed prescriptions. The chapter explains Austen's claims that strategic thinking is not about selfishness, moralism, economics or economism, and winning inconsequential games.
Garrett Barden and Tim Murphy
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199592685
- eISBN:
- 9780191595653
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199592685.003.0012
- Subject:
- Law, Philosophy of Law
This chapter provides both a brief overview of the various strands of the argument and some concluding remarks. It begins with reference to six pillars on which the account is built, and proceeds to ...
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This chapter provides both a brief overview of the various strands of the argument and some concluding remarks. It begins with reference to six pillars on which the account is built, and proceeds to emphasize key aspects of the argument. It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between self-interest and selfishness, as is the basic rule: ‘take account of others' interests’. It argues that this basic ruleis simply another formulation of the traditional rule of justice: ‘render to each what is due’. The chapter notes also that what in detail a good social context will be cannot be known in advance, for new attitudes, new understandings, new situations, new problems, and new solutions to old problems constantly arise. Despite such changes, the chapter suggests that the basic context in which people can live together in peace is common to human societies.Less
This chapter provides both a brief overview of the various strands of the argument and some concluding remarks. It begins with reference to six pillars on which the account is built, and proceeds to emphasize key aspects of the argument. It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between self-interest and selfishness, as is the basic rule: ‘take account of others' interests’. It argues that this basic ruleis simply another formulation of the traditional rule of justice: ‘render to each what is due’. The chapter notes also that what in detail a good social context will be cannot be known in advance, for new attitudes, new understandings, new situations, new problems, and new solutions to old problems constantly arise. Despite such changes, the chapter suggests that the basic context in which people can live together in peace is common to human societies.
Norvin Richards
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199731749
- eISBN:
- 9780199866311
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731749.003.0013
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter concerns whether there are sacrifices that parents should not allow their grown children to make for their sake, even if the children want to make them. It argues against John Hardwig's ...
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This chapter concerns whether there are sacrifices that parents should not allow their grown children to make for their sake, even if the children want to make them. It argues against John Hardwig's contention that there is a duty to die rather than be too costly to one's children. It grants that declining to die when remaining alive is highly costly to the child can be described as selfish, but argues that selfishness need not be objectionable at all if it occurs within the kinds of relationships that we have in mind when we speak of loved ones making sacrifices for one another. It also explores when a person ought not to incur a debt of gratitude, even to a loved one.Less
This chapter concerns whether there are sacrifices that parents should not allow their grown children to make for their sake, even if the children want to make them. It argues against John Hardwig's contention that there is a duty to die rather than be too costly to one's children. It grants that declining to die when remaining alive is highly costly to the child can be described as selfish, but argues that selfishness need not be objectionable at all if it occurs within the kinds of relationships that we have in mind when we speak of loved ones making sacrifices for one another. It also explores when a person ought not to incur a debt of gratitude, even to a loved one.
Robin Small
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199278077
- eISBN:
- 9780191602702
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199278075.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
Examines the moral psychology presented in The Origin of the Moral Sensations. Borrowing from British associationist psychology, Rée maintains that an original valuation of behaviour according to its ...
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Examines the moral psychology presented in The Origin of the Moral Sensations. Borrowing from British associationist psychology, Rée maintains that an original valuation of behaviour according to its utility has given rise to the moral sense that treats an action as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in itself, apart from its beneficial or harmful consequences. Utilitarianism is here combined with a Darwinian and Lamarckian model of evolutionary change, although Rée disagrees with Darwin’s account of remorse as essentially a frustration of social instincts of sympathy and loyalty, suggesting that it fails to acknowledge the specificity of morality.Less
Examines the moral psychology presented in The Origin of the Moral Sensations. Borrowing from British associationist psychology, Rée maintains that an original valuation of behaviour according to its utility has given rise to the moral sense that treats an action as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in itself, apart from its beneficial or harmful consequences. Utilitarianism is here combined with a Darwinian and Lamarckian model of evolutionary change, although Rée disagrees with Darwin’s account of remorse as essentially a frustration of social instincts of sympathy and loyalty, suggesting that it fails to acknowledge the specificity of morality.
Robert C. Solomon
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134674
- eISBN:
- 9780199833733
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195134672.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion
Spirituality also involves rationality, and spirituality is or can be rational, thoughtful, and in tune with modern science. But rationality has been perverted in modern thinking as “smart ...
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Spirituality also involves rationality, and spirituality is or can be rational, thoughtful, and in tune with modern science. But rationality has been perverted in modern thinking as “smart selfishness,” knowing the most efficient means to the ends of self‐interest. Spirituality is ultimately the rationality of the emotions.Less
Spirituality also involves rationality, and spirituality is or can be rational, thoughtful, and in tune with modern science. But rationality has been perverted in modern thinking as “smart selfishness,” knowing the most efficient means to the ends of self‐interest. Spirituality is ultimately the rationality of the emotions.
Robert C. Solomon
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195165401
- eISBN:
- 9780199870103
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195165403.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
Rationality has been under attack. One of the reasons is its seeming denial or neglect of non‐Western cultures. There is also a strong pretense of rationality, evident, for instance, in the rejection ...
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Rationality has been under attack. One of the reasons is its seeming denial or neglect of non‐Western cultures. There is also a strong pretense of rationality, evident, for instance, in the rejection of “instrumental rationality.” But recognizing cultural differences with respect to rationality does not mean embracing “relativism.” Rationality has been perverted in modern thinking, as “smart selfishness,” knowing the most efficient means to the ends of self‐interest. Rationality is ultimately the rationality of the emotions.Less
Rationality has been under attack. One of the reasons is its seeming denial or neglect of non‐Western cultures. There is also a strong pretense of rationality, evident, for instance, in the rejection of “instrumental rationality.” But recognizing cultural differences with respect to rationality does not mean embracing “relativism.” Rationality has been perverted in modern thinking, as “smart selfishness,” knowing the most efficient means to the ends of self‐interest. Rationality is ultimately the rationality of the emotions.
KLAUS HENTSCHEL
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199205660
- eISBN:
- 9780191709388
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205660.003.0011
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
Balfour, Hannah Arendt, and Hartshorne distinguish self-pity, sentimentality, and selfishness as characteristics of the attitude prevalent among post war Germans. This chapter provides illustrations ...
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Balfour, Hannah Arendt, and Hartshorne distinguish self-pity, sentimentality, and selfishness as characteristics of the attitude prevalent among post war Germans. This chapter provides illustrations from the community under examination, based on contemporary foreign observations as well as reports by Germans themselves.Less
Balfour, Hannah Arendt, and Hartshorne distinguish self-pity, sentimentality, and selfishness as characteristics of the attitude prevalent among post war Germans. This chapter provides illustrations from the community under examination, based on contemporary foreign observations as well as reports by Germans themselves.
Robert Merrihew Adams
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195153712
- eISBN:
- 9780199869381
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195153715.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter argues that Eros is an intrinsically excellent as well as beneficial form of love that deserves a place in our conception of God's love and in our ideal of human love. As Eros is ...
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This chapter argues that Eros is an intrinsically excellent as well as beneficial form of love that deserves a place in our conception of God's love and in our ideal of human love. As Eros is conceived here, its central feature is relational desire: the lover desires or prizes, for its own sake, some relationship with the beloved, where the beloved is typically a person but may be an impersonal object such as mathematics or philosophy. It is argued that Eros is not always selfish or even self‐interested, though it is essentially an agent‐centered motive.Less
This chapter argues that Eros is an intrinsically excellent as well as beneficial form of love that deserves a place in our conception of God's love and in our ideal of human love. As Eros is conceived here, its central feature is relational desire: the lover desires or prizes, for its own sake, some relationship with the beloved, where the beloved is typically a person but may be an impersonal object such as mathematics or philosophy. It is argued that Eros is not always selfish or even self‐interested, though it is essentially an agent‐centered motive.
Dennis L. Krebs
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199778232
- eISBN:
- 9780199897261
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199778232.003.0013
- Subject:
- Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter exposes two popular misconceptions about the evolution of morality, namely that the laws of natural selection dictate that all animals are selfish by nature, and because unselfishness is ...
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This chapter exposes two popular misconceptions about the evolution of morality, namely that the laws of natural selection dictate that all animals are selfish by nature, and because unselfishness is necessary for morality, all animals are immoral by nature. These assumptions are founded on a confusion between the kind of selfishness that characterizes evolved dispositions and the kind of selfishness that characterizes immoral behaviors. Although dispositions to behave in selfish ways have evolved in the human species, they are conditional and evoked only in circumstances in which they paid off in ancestral environments.Less
This chapter exposes two popular misconceptions about the evolution of morality, namely that the laws of natural selection dictate that all animals are selfish by nature, and because unselfishness is necessary for morality, all animals are immoral by nature. These assumptions are founded on a confusion between the kind of selfishness that characterizes evolved dispositions and the kind of selfishness that characterizes immoral behaviors. Although dispositions to behave in selfish ways have evolved in the human species, they are conditional and evoked only in circumstances in which they paid off in ancestral environments.
Dennis L. Krebs
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199778232
- eISBN:
- 9780199897261
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199778232.003.0021
- Subject:
- Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter reviews accounts of the evolution of altruism through group selection, and explains how imperfections in the design of evolved mental mechanisms can give rise to altruistic acts. ...
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This chapter reviews accounts of the evolution of altruism through group selection, and explains how imperfections in the design of evolved mental mechanisms can give rise to altruistic acts. Although many evolutionary theorists reject the idea that biological forms of altruism have evolved through group selection, some prominent evolutionary theorists have advanced theoretical arguments and empirical evidence in support of this process. Mental mechanisms that evolved because they enabled individuals to reap the adaptive benefits of social learning and reasoning may dispose them to behave in costly altruistic ways and render them susceptible to manipulation. Mental mechanisms that disposed early humans to behave in genetically selfish, fitness-increasing ways in the environments in which they evolved may dispose modern humans to behave in genetically altruistic, fitness-reducing ways in modern environments.Less
This chapter reviews accounts of the evolution of altruism through group selection, and explains how imperfections in the design of evolved mental mechanisms can give rise to altruistic acts. Although many evolutionary theorists reject the idea that biological forms of altruism have evolved through group selection, some prominent evolutionary theorists have advanced theoretical arguments and empirical evidence in support of this process. Mental mechanisms that evolved because they enabled individuals to reap the adaptive benefits of social learning and reasoning may dispose them to behave in costly altruistic ways and render them susceptible to manipulation. Mental mechanisms that disposed early humans to behave in genetically selfish, fitness-increasing ways in the environments in which they evolved may dispose modern humans to behave in genetically altruistic, fitness-reducing ways in modern environments.
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231159067
- eISBN:
- 9780231504171
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231159067.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter discusses broad-mindedness as a virtue that a ruler must have in order to govern well. A ruler needs to be able to judge objectively between various arguments presented to him by his ...
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This chapter discusses broad-mindedness as a virtue that a ruler must have in order to govern well. A ruler needs to be able to judge objectively between various arguments presented to him by his ministers. He also needs to keep the welfare of all his subjects always in mind. The theme of broad-mindedness fits well with Shizi's emphasis on objectivity. The chapter links public-mindedness to knowing cultural relativity and compares narrow-mindedness to the field of vision available to one in a well. It argues that “being selfish-minded is (like) being in a well, while being public-minded is (like) being on a hilltop…wisdom conveyed in selfishness knows but little, while wisdom conveyed in public-mindedness knows much.” It also considers how philosophers valued broad-mindedness using different terms.Less
This chapter discusses broad-mindedness as a virtue that a ruler must have in order to govern well. A ruler needs to be able to judge objectively between various arguments presented to him by his ministers. He also needs to keep the welfare of all his subjects always in mind. The theme of broad-mindedness fits well with Shizi's emphasis on objectivity. The chapter links public-mindedness to knowing cultural relativity and compares narrow-mindedness to the field of vision available to one in a well. It argues that “being selfish-minded is (like) being in a well, while being public-minded is (like) being on a hilltop…wisdom conveyed in selfishness knows but little, while wisdom conveyed in public-mindedness knows much.” It also considers how philosophers valued broad-mindedness using different terms.
Samuel Fleischacker
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199217366
- eISBN:
- 9780191728495
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199217366.003.0025
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
The moral concerns of Part II are now revisited. The need for morality to be largely secular is re-affirmed, although it is now added that religious commitment can enhance the reasons people have for ...
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The moral concerns of Part II are now revisited. The need for morality to be largely secular is re-affirmed, although it is now added that religious commitment can enhance the reasons people have for pursuing moral goals. Religious people should therefore be yet more committed to morality than secular people. Nevertheless, they are often extraordinarily self-centered. Explanations are proposed for this paradox.Less
The moral concerns of Part II are now revisited. The need for morality to be largely secular is re-affirmed, although it is now added that religious commitment can enhance the reasons people have for pursuing moral goals. Religious people should therefore be yet more committed to morality than secular people. Nevertheless, they are often extraordinarily self-centered. Explanations are proposed for this paradox.
August Turak
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231160629
- eISBN:
- 9780231535229
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231160629.003.0002
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
This chapter examines how we can apply the monastic model to our secular organizations in order to reverse the tide of employee disengagement by asking what we all really want from our lives, ...
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This chapter examines how we can apply the monastic model to our secular organizations in order to reverse the tide of employee disengagement by asking what we all really want from our lives, careers, and businesses, and why we are having so much trouble finding it. It first considers the concept of employee engagement and the role of engagement in the remarkable economic success of Mepkin Abbey and of Trappist monasteries all over the world. It then describes the concept of “dollar votes” in sales and marketing and proceeds by discussing the ideas of Joseph Campbell as articulated in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. More specifically, it explores what Campbell calls Hero's Journey as a transformational journey from selfishness to selflessness. The chapter also outlines three types of transformation: transformation of condition, transformation of circumstance, and transformation of being.Less
This chapter examines how we can apply the monastic model to our secular organizations in order to reverse the tide of employee disengagement by asking what we all really want from our lives, careers, and businesses, and why we are having so much trouble finding it. It first considers the concept of employee engagement and the role of engagement in the remarkable economic success of Mepkin Abbey and of Trappist monasteries all over the world. It then describes the concept of “dollar votes” in sales and marketing and proceeds by discussing the ideas of Joseph Campbell as articulated in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. More specifically, it explores what Campbell calls Hero's Journey as a transformational journey from selfishness to selflessness. The chapter also outlines three types of transformation: transformation of condition, transformation of circumstance, and transformation of being.
August Turak
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231160629
- eISBN:
- 9780231535229
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231160629.003.0008
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
This chapter explains how adherence to the highest ethical standards contributes to business success by highlighting the case of the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey. A reputation for honesty and ...
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This chapter explains how adherence to the highest ethical standards contributes to business success by highlighting the case of the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey. A reputation for honesty and integrity is one the “intangible assets” that pays off in ways we can never fully anticipate. It is Mepkin's commitment to its core principles that makes ethical decisions easy even when the pressure is on. At Mepkin, the monks are rooted in a tradition that transcends the kind of everyman-for-himself mentality that so often leads to unethical behavior under pressure. In addition to the obvious role that religious morality plays, this chapter discusses three additional monastic secrets to ethical behavior that we can all learn to emulate: a long-term attitude, detachment, and aiming past the target. It argues that ethical behavior, like all the Trappist virtues, is one of the things that taking the Hero's Journey of personal transformation from selfishness to selflessness brings about.Less
This chapter explains how adherence to the highest ethical standards contributes to business success by highlighting the case of the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey. A reputation for honesty and integrity is one the “intangible assets” that pays off in ways we can never fully anticipate. It is Mepkin's commitment to its core principles that makes ethical decisions easy even when the pressure is on. At Mepkin, the monks are rooted in a tradition that transcends the kind of everyman-for-himself mentality that so often leads to unethical behavior under pressure. In addition to the obvious role that religious morality plays, this chapter discusses three additional monastic secrets to ethical behavior that we can all learn to emulate: a long-term attitude, detachment, and aiming past the target. It argues that ethical behavior, like all the Trappist virtues, is one of the things that taking the Hero's Journey of personal transformation from selfishness to selflessness brings about.
Stuart Rees
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781447356974
- eISBN:
- 9781447357018
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447356974.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter addresses the causes of cruelty. It covers a continuum of explanations from the banality of evil to automaton-like behaviour in bureaucracies, from pleasures derived from sadism to the ...
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This chapter addresses the causes of cruelty. It covers a continuum of explanations from the banality of evil to automaton-like behaviour in bureaucracies, from pleasures derived from sadism to the cruelties fostered by selfishness. The banality thesis identifies widespread acceptance of cruelties if legitimized by states, their governments, their policies and/or by other powerful institutions. Analysis of conditioned behaviour refers largely to operators of state and non-state organizations who keep the wheels of cruelty turning, yet such personnel usually remain invisible, inaccessible, and non-accountable. Completing the cruelty puzzles requires accounts of sadistic behaviour, which is embedded as much in cultures of violence as in the pathology of any one person. The explanations overlap but have distinct characteristics. The chapter also considers cruelty driven by managerial demands for efficiency, a powerfully addictive notion which is not value neutral, and looks at the civil war between Colombian government forces and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels in Colombia.Less
This chapter addresses the causes of cruelty. It covers a continuum of explanations from the banality of evil to automaton-like behaviour in bureaucracies, from pleasures derived from sadism to the cruelties fostered by selfishness. The banality thesis identifies widespread acceptance of cruelties if legitimized by states, their governments, their policies and/or by other powerful institutions. Analysis of conditioned behaviour refers largely to operators of state and non-state organizations who keep the wheels of cruelty turning, yet such personnel usually remain invisible, inaccessible, and non-accountable. Completing the cruelty puzzles requires accounts of sadistic behaviour, which is embedded as much in cultures of violence as in the pathology of any one person. The explanations overlap but have distinct characteristics. The chapter also considers cruelty driven by managerial demands for efficiency, a powerfully addictive notion which is not value neutral, and looks at the civil war between Colombian government forces and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels in Colombia.
Xiaofei Tian
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9789888390892
- eISBN:
- 9789888455003
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888390892.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
Chinese socialist peasant writer, Hao Ran (1932-2008), was well-known for his novels, Bright Sunny Sky and The Great Road of Golden Light, and remained the best-selling author during the Cultural ...
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Chinese socialist peasant writer, Hao Ran (1932-2008), was well-known for his novels, Bright Sunny Sky and The Great Road of Golden Light, and remained the best-selling author during the Cultural Revolution period (1966-1976). This essay focuses on his less-studied short stories, all but one published between 1958 and 1960. Through a discussion of the politics of his revisions of his early stories, the essay argues that, far from being simplistic transmissions of a socialist ideology, these stories are often unintentionally complicated representation of gender, class, desire, and sexuality in China’s “socialist construction” era. As the Cultural Revolution represents a climax of the epic socialist battle against si, a word that encompasses a wide range of meanings from selfishness and self-interest to anything personal and private, the pruning and clipping performed by Hao Ran to his early stories are ultimately paralleled by the violence committed within a text. The last part of the essay analyzes a story written at the end of the Cultural Revolution period, which demonstrates a discursive structure of violence and embodies the obsessive quest for transparency and the spiritual violence of the Cultural Revolution itself.Less
Chinese socialist peasant writer, Hao Ran (1932-2008), was well-known for his novels, Bright Sunny Sky and The Great Road of Golden Light, and remained the best-selling author during the Cultural Revolution period (1966-1976). This essay focuses on his less-studied short stories, all but one published between 1958 and 1960. Through a discussion of the politics of his revisions of his early stories, the essay argues that, far from being simplistic transmissions of a socialist ideology, these stories are often unintentionally complicated representation of gender, class, desire, and sexuality in China’s “socialist construction” era. As the Cultural Revolution represents a climax of the epic socialist battle against si, a word that encompasses a wide range of meanings from selfishness and self-interest to anything personal and private, the pruning and clipping performed by Hao Ran to his early stories are ultimately paralleled by the violence committed within a text. The last part of the essay analyzes a story written at the end of the Cultural Revolution period, which demonstrates a discursive structure of violence and embodies the obsessive quest for transparency and the spiritual violence of the Cultural Revolution itself.
