Self-esteem and social esteem: Is Adam Smith right?
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AbstractIn Part III of The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Adam Smith declares that people desire to be both esteemed and to be esteem-worthy, but that the latter desire both does and ought to take priority. The main object of this paper is to challenge that priority claim—mainly in its descriptive aspect. If that claim were true, then: agents would be at pains to eliminate any distortions in their self-evaluations; and the effects of the size (especially of total secrecy) and the character of audience on behaviour would be second-order. Empirical evidence suggests otherwise. Moreover the normative claim seems to overlook some advantages of inflated self-evaluation; and to allow no independent room for norms of modesty/humility.
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2017 ◽
Vol 34
(1)
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pp. 25-55
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2008 ◽
Vol 40
(2)
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pp. 365-382
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2017 ◽
Vol 78
(4)
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pp. 571-593
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1997 ◽
Vol 19
(1)
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pp. 127-140
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