The Philosophy of Envy

Envy is almost universally condemned. But is its reputation warranted? Sara Protasi argues envy is multifaceted and sometimes even virtuous.

Sara Protasi (Author)

9781316519172, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 15 July 2021

260 pages
23.6 x 15.7 x 2.1 cm, 0.521 kg

'One of the things that shines through in this book is Protasi's humanity. Here is no moralistic finger wagging but instead a compassionate look at the complexity of human striving, human excellence, and the ubiquitous desire for admiration and respect. This is seen no more clearly than in her tightly argued chapter on love and envy. Envy is not invariably the enemy of love, Saint Paul notwithstanding, she argues. Envy is possible, indeed may be unavoidable, in loving relationships. Not chronic envy, of course, but envy that comes and goes as a life shared changes and evolves.' Heidi Lene Maibom, The Philosophical Review

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.

Introduction
1. What is Envy?
2. Varieties of Envy
3. The value of Envy
4. Love and Envy, Two Sides of the Same Coin
5. Political Envy
Conclusion: Envy and Human Goodness.

Subject Areas: Social & political philosophy [HPS], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ], Philosophy [HP]