First, Second, and Other Selves

Essays on Friendship and Personal Identity

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Ancient, Ethics & Moral Philosophy
Cover of the book First, Second, and Other Selves by Jennifer Whiting, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jennifer Whiting ISBN: 9780190631710
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: May 2, 2016
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Jennifer Whiting
ISBN: 9780190631710
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: May 2, 2016
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

In her essay collection First, Second, and Other Selves: Essays on Friendship and Personal Identity, well-known scholar of ancient philosophy Jennifer Whiting gathers her previously published essays taking Aristotle's theories on friendship as a springboard to engage with contemporary philosophical work on personal identity and moral psychology. Whiting examines three themes throughout the collection, the first being psychic contingency, or the belief that the psychological structures characteristic of human beings may in fact vary, not just from one cultural (or socio-historical) context to another, but also from one individual to another. The second theme is the belief that friendship informs an understanding of the nature of the self, an idea that springs from Whiting's uncommon reading of Aristotle's writings on friendship. Specifically, Whiting explains a scenario in which a "virtuous agent" adopts a kind of impersonal attitude both towards herself and towards her "character" friends, loving both because they are virtuous; this scenario ties in with an examination of the Aristotelian concept of the ideal friend as an "other self," or a friendship that evolves from character rather than ego, as well as Whiting's meditation on whether or not a virtuous individual should have a "special" sort of concern for her own future self, distinct in kind from the concern that she has for others. The third theme is that of rational egoism, a concept that Whiting critiques, especially in the context of Aristotle's eudaimonism. The central tenet of the collection is the message that taking "ethocentric" (or character-based) attitudes both towards ourselves and towards our friends sheds light on the nature of personal identity and helps to combat ethnocentric and other objectionable forms of bias, a message that is becoming increasingly urgent in light of the recent deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In her essay collection First, Second, and Other Selves: Essays on Friendship and Personal Identity, well-known scholar of ancient philosophy Jennifer Whiting gathers her previously published essays taking Aristotle's theories on friendship as a springboard to engage with contemporary philosophical work on personal identity and moral psychology. Whiting examines three themes throughout the collection, the first being psychic contingency, or the belief that the psychological structures characteristic of human beings may in fact vary, not just from one cultural (or socio-historical) context to another, but also from one individual to another. The second theme is the belief that friendship informs an understanding of the nature of the self, an idea that springs from Whiting's uncommon reading of Aristotle's writings on friendship. Specifically, Whiting explains a scenario in which a "virtuous agent" adopts a kind of impersonal attitude both towards herself and towards her "character" friends, loving both because they are virtuous; this scenario ties in with an examination of the Aristotelian concept of the ideal friend as an "other self," or a friendship that evolves from character rather than ego, as well as Whiting's meditation on whether or not a virtuous individual should have a "special" sort of concern for her own future self, distinct in kind from the concern that she has for others. The third theme is that of rational egoism, a concept that Whiting critiques, especially in the context of Aristotle's eudaimonism. The central tenet of the collection is the message that taking "ethocentric" (or character-based) attitudes both towards ourselves and towards our friends sheds light on the nature of personal identity and helps to combat ethnocentric and other objectionable forms of bias, a message that is becoming increasingly urgent in light of the recent deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Historic Churches of New Mexico Today by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Principles of Stable Isotope Distribution by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Sick from Freedom by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Theater by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Nicolas Poussin by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Matching, Regression Discontinuity, Difference in Differences, and Beyond by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Sherlock Holmes and the Duke's Son Level 1 Oxford Bookworms Library by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Innovative Skills to Increase Cohesion and Communication in Couples by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book The Great Conversation by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Regions Apart by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Universal Salvation in Late Antiquity by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Braddock's Defeat by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Vienna by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book Iberian Atlantic World, 1600-1800: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Jennifer Whiting
Cover of the book The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism by Jennifer Whiting
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy