Esteem and Self-Esteem in the History of Philosophy

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 Philosophy
• Self-Knowledge and the Normative Foundations of Self-Esteem in Classical Greek Philosophy
• Interiority and the Transformation of Selfhood in Hellenistic and Late Antique Philosophy
• Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Esteem and Self-Cultivation
• Reputation, Virtue, and Moral Theology in the Medieval World
• Early Modern Moral Psychology and the Social Dynamics of Esteem
• Gender and the Politics of Self-Worth
• Esteem, 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.

Andreas Blank holds a research position at the University of Paderborn, Germany. He is the author of some 100 articles in edited volumes and journals such as Annals of Science, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, European Journal of Philosophy, History of European Ideas, History of Philosophy Quarterly, Journal of Early Modern Studies, Journal of the History of Ideas, Journal of Modern Philosophy, The Monist, Perspectives on Science, and Science in Context.

Attila Németh is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy, The Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Budapest, Hungary. He is the author of Epicurus on the Self (Routledge, 2020), co-editor with Dániel Schmal of The Self in Ancient and Early Modern Philosophy (2025), and has published several papers on ancient atomism, Hellenistic philosophy, and Seneca.