Introduction

If I told you I was a proud and angry person, what would you think of me? Would you conjure up the image of an entitled, arrogant aggressor? The devil’s turn from God was born of pride after all. What if you thought of a person with standards, a person with integrity who wants the best for themselves and others? Would that be a fair assumption?

What I’m asking is: are pride and anger virtues or vices? In the right light, emotions seem to lead to a better life… or perhaps they just create that impression until we realise we’ve become something we’d rather not admit. These two emotions govern our self-worth, they shape our relationships with others, and they determine how we bring about a better world. In short, how we think about these two emotions matters and it’s imperative that we understand their nature.

Contents

Part I. Pride

Part II. Anger

Part III. Further Analysis and Discussion

Links

Agnes Collard, On Anger. (Book)

Martha C. Nussbaum, Anger and Forgiveness: Resentment, Generosity, Justice. (Book)

Melissa M. Shew and Kimberly K. Garchar, Philosophy for Girls: An Invitation to the Life of Thought. (Book)

Julia Driver, Modesty and Ignorance. (Paper)

Philippa Foot, Virtues and Vices. (Paper)

Claudia Mills, Bragging, Boasting, and Crowing: The Ethics of Sharing One’s Glad Tidings with Others. (Paper)

Tara Smith, The Practice of Pride. (Paper)