Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk

We all engage in moral grandstanding, which is annoying and dangerous. It is prevalent in public discourse and online, particularly in polarized politics. Philosophers Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke argue that grandstanding damages the causes it is meant to forward and can lead to a breakdown in public square. They suggest that by avoiding grandstanding, we can re-build a public square worth participating in.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 248 pages
\n Publication date: 10 September 2020
\n Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
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We all engage in it. We use derogatory language towards others in both face-to-face conversations and online interactions. We criticize those with whom we disagree, making bold claims that we cannot support. Our desire is to be perceived as taking the moral high ground, not just to make a point or advance a debate, but to present a certain image—indignant, compassionate, or committed to a cause. We exaggerate. In essence, we grandstand. This behavior is particularly prevalent in public discourse today, particularly in the online realm. Philosophers Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke, who have written extensively on moral grandstanding, argue that such one-upmanship is not merely annoying but also dangerous. As politics becomes increasingly polarized, individuals on both sides of the spectrum drift further apart when grandstanding hinders meaningful engagement with others. The pollution of our most urgent conversations with self-interest undermines the very causes they seek to advance.
Drawing from research in psychology, economics, and political science, as well as contemporary examples spanning the political spectrum, the authors delve deeply into the reasons behind and ways in which we grandstand. Employing the analytical tools of psychology and moral philosophy, they explain the motivations behind our behavior and the potential consequences of taking it too far. Most importantly, they demonstrate how by avoiding grandstanding, we can restore a public square that is worth participating in.

\n Weight: 386g\n
Dimension: 149 x 216 x 28 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780190900151\n \n