Honour in Aristotle's Ethics

A thorough re-evaluation of the nature and workings of honour in Aristotle’s psychology and ethics The first sustained investigation of the significance and pervasiveness of honour in Aristotle’s ethics Establishes a two-way dialogue between Aristotle and contemporary sociology, philosophy and psychology Challenges common assumptions about honour and highlights the importance of honour for a range of human emotions and dispositions Provides a model of social relations that brings forward both the culturally specific and the universal characteristics of human interaction Showcases how Greek thought can enrich contemporary ethical and political debates Why does Aristotle label honour ( timē ) as the ‘greatest’ among the external goods required for the good life ( eudaimonia )? And how does this statement relate with human emotions and Aristotle’s famous assertion that human beings are by nature political animals? Despite the dominant place of honour in Aristotle’s philosophy of human affairs (ethics, politics, rhetoric), its role has been grossly understudied, mainly because honour has been erroneously conceived as an outmoded notion out of sync with modern preoccupations and concerns. Drawing on contemporary sociology, philosophy and psychology, this monograph offers a thorough re-evaluation of Aristotelian timē that challenges common assumptions both about ancient and about modern ‘honour’. Aristotle’s incisive remarks on the role of timē in human psychology and behaviour reveal that, far from being a parochial concept, Greek timē is indicative of a universal human concern for esteem and social recognition in our lives as social beings.