Overview

Envy is almost universally condemned and feared. But is its bad reputation always warranted? In this book, Sara Protasi argues that envy is more multifaceted than it seems, and that some varieties of it can be productive and even virtuous. Protasi brings together empirical evidence and philosophical research to generate a novel view according to which there are four kinds of envy: emulative, inert, aggressive, and spiteful. For each kind, she individuates different situational antecedents, phenomenological expressions, motivational tendencies, and behavioral outputs. She then develops the normative implications of this taxonomy from a moral and prudential perspective, in the domain of personal loving relationships, and in the political sphere. A historical appendix completes the book. Through a careful and comprehensive investigation of envy's complexity, and its multifarious implications for human relations and human value, The Philosophy of Envy surprisingly reveals that envy plays a crucial role in safeguarding our happiness.

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9781009001717

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Reviews

'Protasi has produced a carefully researched, nuanced and highly original contribution to the study of envy and human moral psychology in general, an engaging read that brings philosophy into a fruitful dialogue with empirical psychology and offers a clear introduction to the topic, while containing many novel arguments for those well-versed in the debates.' Alba Montes Sanchez, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 'Recommended.' S. A. Mason, Choice Magazine 'Sara Protasi's The Philosophy of Envy is a very thorough work. Drawing from philosophy, psychology, literature, and our personal lives, Protasi illuminates a range of issues, including how to distinguish envy from jealousy, whether envy focuses on a person or what they possess, when it motivates us to 'level up' to the envied's status or to ensure that they 'level down' to us, the relationship between envy and love, and whether egalitarianism is motivated by envy ... Analysing emotions can be messy work, given the number of interacting considerations and questions, but Protasi manages to give us a precise map of the terrain without compromising accessibility. The thoroughness with which she details this history and presents her own analysis is itself worthy of being envied (emulatively) by anyone writing on the emotions.' Adam Piovarchy, Australasian Journal of Philosophy 'Protasi's book gives readers a much better look at the green-eyed monster. Her careful analysis dispels some of the myths about envy while also being honest about its dangers. This book is a thorough and thoughtful treatment of a neglected negative emotion.' Krista Thomason, Swarthmore College

Author Information

Sara Protasi is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Puget Sound. She has published essays on love, envy, beauty, pornography, and pedagogy.

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