The Specter of Hypocrisy: Testing the Limits of Moral Discourse

Raphael Sassower examines the concept of hypocrisy for its strategic potential as a means of personal protection and social cohesion, reconsidering canonical presuppositions about the uniformity of the mind and the relation between intention and behavior. He considers the limits of analytic moral and political discourses that overlook the conditions under which putative hypocritical behavior is existentially required and where compromises yield positive results.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 238 pages
Publication date: 17 November 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Raphael Sassower delves into the concept of hypocrisy, exploring its strategic significance as a means of personal protection and social cohesion. In the context of post-truth, the examination of the degrees or kinds of hypocrisy shifts from its Greek etymology, which refers to masks worn on the theater stage, to its Hebrew etymology, which pertains to the color adjustment of chameleons to their environment. Traditional assumptions about the uniformity of the mind and the relationship between intention and behavior that justify the charge of hypocrisy are critically reevaluated to acknowledge both inherent inconsistencies in personal conduct and the diverse contexts in which hypocrisy manifests. Sassower examines the boundaries of analytic moral and political discourses that sometimes fail to recognize the existential necessity of putative hypocritical behavior and where compromises can lead to positive outcomes. When employed among friends, the charge of hypocrisy serves as a valuable tool for fostering trust and building communities.

Weight: 343g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030605759
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020