Respect for Persons: An Epistemic and Pragmatic Investigation

Dissertation, University of Michigan (2001)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

We can distinguish two concepts of respect for persons: appraisal respect , an attitude based on a positive appraisal of a person's moral character, and recognition respect , the practice of treating persons with consideration based on the belief that they deserve such treatment. After engaging in an extended analysis of these concepts, I examine two "truisms" about them. We justifiably believe of some persons that they have good character and thus deserve our esteem . Frequently it pays to be disrespectful; e.g., insulting those who insult us may put them in their place. By using empirical results from social and personality psychology and techniques from decision theory in addition to conceptual considerations, I argue that, surprisingly, the above two "truisms" are false. Extensive psychological evidence indicates that most persons are indeterminate---overall neither good nor bad nor intermediate---and that our information about specific persons almost never distinguishes those who are indeterminate from those who are not. The strategy of habitually avoiding disrespectful behavior maximizes long-term expected utility. In sum, we have good pragmatic reason to treat persons respectfully, but we have good epistemic reason to avoid esteeming or despising them

Links

PhilArchive

External links

  • This entry has no external links. Add one.
Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Wieso moralische Achtung wichtig ist.Peter Schaber - 2009 - Analyse & Kritik 31 (2):351-361.
Respect and Membership in the Moral Community.Carla Bagnoli - 2007 - Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 10 (2):113 - 128.
Respect for persons, identity, and information technology.Robin S. Dillon - 2010 - Ethics and Information Technology 12 (1):17-28.
Are Toleration and Respect Compatible?Ian Carter - 2013 - Journal of Applied Philosophy 30 (3):195-208.
Securing Self-Respect.Cynthia Ann Stark - 1993 - Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Respect for Persons and Bioethics.Don Carl Postema - 1989 - Dissertation, Columbia University
Epistemic dimensions of personhood.Simon Evnine - 2008 - New York: Oxford University Press.
Forgiveness and Respect for Persons.Owen Ware - 2014 - American Philosophical Quarterly 51 (3).
Love Them or Leave Them? Respect Requires Neither.Susan T. Gardner - 2012 - International Journal of Applied Philosophy 26 (2):253-268.
Arrogance, self-respect and personhood.Robin S. Dillon - 2007 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 14 (5-6):101-126.
Respect for the Unworthy.Richard Dean - 2014 - Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 95 (3):293-313.
Egalitarianism and Self-Respect.Wilhelmine Miller - 1997 - Dissertation, Georgetown University

Analytics

Added to PP
2015-02-06

Downloads
524 (#31,787)

6 months
52 (#71,565)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Peter Vranas
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references