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 PhilosophySelf-Knowledge and the Normative Foundations of Self-Esteem in Classical Greek PhilosophyInteriority and the Transformation of Selfhood in Hellenistic and Late Antique PhilosophyCross-Cultural Perspectives on Esteem and Self-CultivationReputation, Virtue, and Moral Theology in the Medieval WorldEarly Modern Moral Psychology and the Social Dynamics of EsteemGender and the Politics of Self-WorthEsteem, 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.
