Prostitutes, Musicians, and Self-Respect Virtues and Vices of Personal Life

In Prostitutes, Musicians, and Self-Respect, Joseph H. Kupfer turns a critical eye to the personal virtues and vices that pervade daily life but are easily and frequently overlooked. Unlike public virtues such as courage and patriotism, the personal virtues of humility, generosity, gratitude, and patience do not have particular occasions on which they shine forth and are celebrated, but rather are in continuous use in our interactions with other people and our relationship with ourselves. Kupfer contrasts these personal virtues with the vices of sentimentality, envy, ingratitude, and impatience. At the core of the discussion of personal virtues and vices lies the theme of self-knowledge and self-respect. This intimate conversation of virtues and vices is of interest to scholars and students of ethics, moral psychology, and religion, as well as the general academic reader.

Joseph H. Kupfer is University Professor of Philosophy at Iowa State University.