The Specter of Hypocrisy: Testing the Limits of Moral Discourse

Sassower, Raphael

Raphael Sassower examines the concept of hypocrisy for its strategic potential as a means of personal protection and social cohesion. Given the contemporary context of post-truth, the examination of degrees or kinds of hypocrisy moves from the Greek etymology of masks worn on the theater stage to the Hebrew etymology of the color adjustment of chameleons to their environment. Canonical presuppositions about the uniformity of the mind and the relation between intention and behavior that warrant the charge of hypocrisy are critically reconsidered in order to appreciate both inherent inconsistencies in personal conduct and the different contexts where the hypocrisy appears. Sassower considers the limits of analytic moral and political discourses that at times overlook the conditions under which putative hypocritical behavior is existentially required and where compromises yield positive results. When used among friends, the charge of hypocrisy is a useful tool with which to build trust and communities.

Details

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Publication Date: 2021-11-17

Format: Paperback

ISBN-13: 9783030605759

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-60573-5

Dimensions: 210cm x148cm

Pages: 238