Ethical Theory and Moral Practice (2011)
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Abstract |
Our attitude towards cynicism is ambivalent: On the one hand we condemn it as a character failing and a trend that is undermining political and social life; on the other hand, we are often impressed by the apparent realism and honesty of the cynic. My aim in this paper is to offer an account of cynicism that can explain both our attraction and aversion. After defending a particular conception of cynicism, I argue that most of the work in explaining the fault of cynicism can be done by referring not to the cynic’s beliefs about humanity, but to the attitude cultivated as a response to that belief. This attitude is hostile to the virtues of faith, hope and charity, upon which relationships and our sense of moral community depend. In conclusion, I suggest that holding the cynical belief is itself immoral, and that cynicism is disrespectful and destructive of morality
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Keywords | Cynicism Morality Faith Hope Love |
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DOI | 10.1007/s10677-010-9250-y |
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References found in this work BETA
Radical Hope: Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation.Jonathan Lear - 2006 - Harvard University Press.
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Citations of this work BETA
The Relationships of Empathy, Moral Identity and Cynicism with Consumers' Ethical Beliefs: The Mediating Role of Moral Disengagement. [REVIEW]Rafi M. M. I. Chowdhury & Mario Fernando - 2014 - Journal of Business Ethics 124 (4):1-18.
Rethinking the Purity of Moral Motives in Business: Kant Against Moral Purism.Wim Dubbink & Luc van Liedekerke - 2020 - Journal of Business Ethics 167 (3):379-393.
Do Evaluative Pressures and Group Identification Cultivate Competitive Orientations and Cynical Attitudes Among Academics?Tobias Johansson - 2022 - Journal of Business Ethics 176 (4):761-780.
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2010-11-18
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