Concept
Self-love
Overview
concept in philosophy & psychology: regard for one's own health, well-being, and happiness
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
In the original texts
Passages from public-domain books where Self-love is discussed.
Self-love is a principle in human nature of such extensive energy, and the interest of each individual is, in general, so closely connected with that of the community, that those philosophers were excusable, who fancied that all our concern for the public might be resolved into a concern for our own happiness and preservation. They saw every moment, instances of approbation or blame, satisfaction or displeasure…
David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals
states what it is; names the idea; opens on it
The origin of our passions, the root and spring of all the rest, the only one which is born with man, which never leaves him as long as he lives, is self-love; this passion is primitive, instinctive, it precedes all the rest, which are in a sense only modifications of it. In this sense, if you like, they are all natural.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile
states what it is; names the idea; author linked in the graph; opens on it
But they, relatively to the central principle, whatever it may be, are external and objective. They come and go, and it remains--"so shakes the magnet, and so stands the pole." It may indeed have to be there for them to be loved, but being there is not identical with being loved itself. To sum up, then, _we see no reason to suppose that 'self-love' is primarily, or secondarily, or ever, love for one's mere principle…
William James, The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1
a chapter is titled for it; names the idea; author linked in the graph
And therefore he who deals with the curable sort must be long-suffering and forbearing; but the incurable shall have the vials of our wrath poured out upon him. The greatest of all evils is self-love, which is thought to be natural and excusable, and is enforced as a duty, and yet is the cause of many errors. The lover is blinded about the beloved, and prefers his own interests to truth and right; but the truly…
Plato, Laws
states what it is; names the idea
This is either the self-love that consists in an excessive fondness for oneself (philautia), or satisfaction with oneself (arrogantia). The former is called particularly selfishness; the latter self-conceit. Pure practical reason only checks selfishness, looking on it as natural and active in us even prior to the moral law, so far as to limit it to the condition of agreement with this law, and then it is called…
Immanuel Kant, The Critique of Practical Reason
states what it is; names the idea; opens on it
Philosophers who discussed Self-love
Related ideas
- Substance abuse
- Feminism
- Francis Bacon
- Hindus
- Women's rights
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Jainism
- Suicide
- Eudemian Ethics
- Augustine of Hippo
- Henry Sidgwick
- Spinoza's Ethics
- Sikhs
- Aristotle
- Utilitarianism
- United States Declaration of Independence
- Vietnam War
- Buddhism
- World War II
- The Buddha
- Baruch Spinoza
- Intrinsic value (ethics)
- Morality
- Erich Fromm
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Deontology.