Abstract
In this thesis I argue that humility is a virtuous form of selflessness. A selfless individual, as I develop the idea, is other-centered and adopts as life projects things outside of themselves they reasonably judge to be of intrinsic worth. A selflessly humble person need not neglect nor denigrate themselves, but they do focus their most important life projects away from themselves. This makes for a strong contrast to the idea that we ought to strive for a well curated life, or one centered around the primary satisfaction of our own egos, desires, self-directed projects, or self-ambitions. I argue that the selflessly humble person is admirable and has improved prospects of living a satisfactory and fulfilling life.In order to argue for the virtue of humility as selflessness, I critically compare selflessness to other conceptions of humility. I survey important conceptions of humility in the philosophical tradition. I examine accounts of humility shaped by Christian conceptions of the human condition, principally those of Augustine and Aquinas. These conceptions are contrasted with accounts of Spinoza, Hume, and Kant. Spinoza characterizes humility as a sadness and a lack of power. Hume criticizes humility as a monkish virtue and a form of self-inflicted pain. Kant develops a nuanced conception and defense of humility. I undertake a close reading of Grenberg’s monograph on Kantian humility, Kant and the Ethics of Humility (2005) and examine critical responses to her account.
After examining accounts of humility from the history of philosophy, I turn to contemporary accounts of humility. I consider important contemporary philosophical discussions of humility, including, where relevant, discussions of the related concept of modesty. I propose a five-part typology of contemporary theories. Following a chapter in which I set out my own account of humility as selflessness and compare it to contemporary theories, I conclude the thesis with a discussion of contemporary critiques of humility, indicating how humility as selflessness evades or ameliorates these critiques.
| Date of Award | 13 Feb 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Damian Cox (Supervisor) & Daniel Brennan (Supervisor) |