The Self and its Emotions (Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction) by Kristján Kristjánsson

Studies in Emotion and Social Interaction

by Kristján Kristjánsson

If there is one value that seems beyond reproach in modernity, it is that of the self and the terms that cluster around it, such as self-esteem, self-confidence and self-respect. It is not clear, however, that all those who invoke the self really know what they are talking about, or that they are all talking about the same thing. What is this thing called 'self', then, and what is its psychological, philosophical and educational salience? More specifically, what role do emotions play in the creation and constitution of the self? This book proposes a realist, emotion-grounded conception of selfhood. In arguing for a closer link between selfhood and emotion than has been previously suggested, the author critically explores and integrates self research from diverse academic fields. This is a provocative book that should excite anyone interested in cutting-edge research on self-issues and emotions that lies at the intersection of psychology, philosophy of mind, moral philosophy and moral education.

Paperback

First published January 31, 2010

About the author

Professor of Character Education and Virtue Ethics, and Deputy Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, at the University of Birmingham.

Kristján Kristjánsson’s research orientation can best be summed up as that of Aristotle-inspired philosophical scrutiny of theories in educational psychology and values education, with special emphasis on the notions of character and virtuous emotions. He has written extensively on themes in general education, moral education, educational psychology, moral philosophy and political philosophy, and sees himself essentially as a bridge-builder between philosophy and social science.

He has been a Visiting Fellow at Cornell University, University of Konstanz, St. Edmund’s College (Cambridge University) and Institute of Education (University of London). In 1997, he was elected the Young Humanities Scholar of the Year by the Icelandic Council of Science, and in 2011 he was presented with the Ása Guðmundsdóttir Wright Award, the most prestigious scholarly award given annually to an Icelandic academic across the Sciences and Humanities.

Reviews

[Stephen Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by an academic, a moral philosopher with deep interested in education. He takes an interdisciplinary approach, moving from moral philosophy to psychology and back. He identifies himself as a self-realist, arguing that there really is a "self" to each person rather than simply a "self-concept." He is very critical of the global self-esteem movement popular a general ago, especially among pop psychologists and TV celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, in which positive self-esteem was regarded as the necessary starting point for understanding personal and social problems. He uses David Hume's notion of moral emotions (pride and humility) as the starting point for arguing for a real self.

For anyone interested in serious studies of emotions, what they are and how they contribute to life, this book is an interesting read. As an academic Kristansson writes easily and straightforwardly. Though he uses technical language and invites the reader into substantive topics, he does so in a way that does not come across as ponderous and abstract.