Shame!
Oct 28th, 2007 by Micah Tillman | 6 Comments |
I was talking to my students on Thursday about Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book IV. There he discusses both pride and shame. I pointed out that only Rightist Americans seem to be able to pull off the former (with respect to their being American), while both Right and Left are pretty darn good at at the latter.
After all, the people who think “we” got what “we” deserved on 9-11 were both on the Left (”capitalistic imperialist world-exploitation”) and on the Right (”homosexualist, baby-killing idolatry”).
Then my wife pointed out to me on Friday that while the Right is usually the one that accuses the Left of hating America, it didn’t make any sense to accuse the other side of hating America if you hated what have become time-honored American traditions too (like “welfare-statism,” the “loosening of morals,” etc.).
Then today I ran across this article by Meredith Small:
A Culture that Capitalism Can’t Crush
Read the first three paragraphs. The bemoaning of America’s Original Sin/Guilt. The denunciation of temptation and hedonism.
We are an unclean people, and there is no hope for us apart from God’s . . . . wait. Scratch that. There’s just no hope, period.
Then read the last two paragraphs. Do you see why the culture Small is talking about is a culture that capitalism couldn’t crush?
Ouch.
I’m not sure the pride of Americans as you describe it is pride. Sounds to me more like a description of hubris which is an overbearing pride or presumption.
The opposite of pride is shame. The opposite of hubris is humility.
There is nothing morally wrong in having pride in what you, or your family, or your community, or your country, have done which is universally good.
I’ve been reading Plato’s dialogues which describe Socrates’ trial. What struck me most is how important it was for him to lead an unashamed life. He thought there was shame in betryaing values such as loyalty and inner honesty for some spurious gain, such as popularity or prestige. He did not walk around these issues in an attempt to reconcile an act of dubious morality to true morality. He thought justice was indivisible and cannot be a gift depending on the mood and good will of one or a few persons. Something was either just, or it was not.
Socrates’ pride came from moral clarity and ethical literacy. It was pride in the sense that it was free of shameful dealings which degrade our sense of the good.
Interesting and helpful distinctions. Thanks!
That sounds right, so long as you don’t think you can take credit for what you haven’t personally done, or think that what your family, your community, or your country does makes you a better or worse person.
The dialogs surrounding Socrates’ trial and death are moving and important. I’m glad people still read them!
Thanks for a great comment :-)
Interesting article you linked to. I have known Tuareg people from my six years in Mali. I know the crafts the author refers to and the trading practices.
I’ll have to think more about her premises and conclusions.
You’ve spent time in Africa, eh? Very cool.
I’ve never seen anything like that article before. I was completely . . . befuddled?
I guess that’s the word for it.
[...] may remember Professor Small from how confusing I found her article on capitalism and the Taureg. This time she’s taking up the Neanderthal issue that bothered me so much a little while [...]
[...] 9th, 2007 by Micah Tillman Just like Professor Small said it’s doing for the Tuareg, capitalism is set to save Ethiopia according to Matthew Clark [...]