1. Alessandra Tanesini Vienna, June 2016
Caring for Esteem
Caring for esteem and intellectual reputation: some epistemic benefits and harms
Alessandra Tanesini
Vienna, June 2016

2. Main Aims and Structure
Caring for Esteem
Main Aims and Structure
1. clarify the nature of esteem and of the related notions of reputation and admiration.
2. show that a concern with one’s own intellectual reputation, and a motivation to seek the esteem and admiration of other members of one’s community, can be epistemically virtuous.
3. explain intellectual vanity and intellectual timidity as two kinds of vicious concern for esteem and reputation
4. highlight some of the epistemic harms that flow from vanity and timidity.

3. The nature of Esteem, Reputation and Admiration
Caring for Esteem
The nature of Esteem, Reputation and Admiration
Esteem is an evaluative judgement, belief or attitude, directed toward an agent, and based on performance or possession of some feature.
The feature must be: (a) not average or widespread; (b) good (or bad)
It can be: categorical, a matter of degree, positional
Esteem can be an object of desire
Esteem is evaluative: attributions of esteem are correct only if one is worthy of esteem
Esteem is an indicator property of trustworthiness, reliability or excellence

4. The nature of Esteem, Reputation and Admiration
Caring for Esteem
The nature of Esteem, Reputation and Admiration
Esteem ≠ reputation
reputation is partially based on testimony
Esteem ≠ admiration
Admiration can be targeted at features for which one cannot take credit
Esteem markers are manifestations of esteem attributions (evaluative judgements).
Esteem attributions (or judgements) are correct iff the esteem is deserved
Esteem markers are indicator properties of trustworthiness, reliability or excellence
Esteem markers include
Prizes
Fellowships
Praise
Good reviews

5. Esteem is a good Esteem is good Prudential Epistemic Financial gain
Caring for Esteem
Esteem is a good
Esteem is good
Prudential
Financial gain
Better treatment by others
Opens doors
Epistemic
Evidence of one’s own qualities (promotes self-knowledge)
Evidence of whom to trust, believe, etc

6. Caring for Esteem
Esteem is a scarce good
Esteem is scarce thus there is competition over it
Requires one is noticed by attentional capacities are limited (so others must be unnoticed)
Requires that one is thought to be exceptional
Sometimes it is
There are however mutually beneficial arrangements (e.g., election into fellowships)

7. Esteem and expert testimony
Caring for Esteem
Esteem and expert testimony
The problem of deciding whom to believe among self-declared experts on a topic one knows little about
Not in a position to evaluate or even understand the evidence
Goldman (2011) would be a mistake to accept majority view if those sources are not partly independent
We often rely on reputation
We are entitled to rely on reputation
Esteem is a good over which there is competition
Judgments of esteem are likely to be partly independent
Hence,
Better and more widespread good reputation is an indicator of better competence, expertise etc.
Reputation is often the best guide to expertise (albeit fallible, but not terribly costly)

8. Virtuous concern with reputation
Caring for Esteem
Virtuous concern with reputation
Reputation is an epistemic good hence concern with it can be virtuous
Desire for reputation can improve performance
Desire for reputation provides other with visible evidence of one’s own level of competence, reliability.
Objection: Reputation may be a good but it cannot be rationally pursued (Elster)
Desire for esteem is self-stultifying since to want to be admired is not an admirable trait.
Response: Not true. What is not admirable is the desire for reputation at all costs and thus
Accepting trade off with concern for knowledge or truth
Prepared to deny others the reputation they deserve

9. Vicious Concern for esteem and reputation: Vanity
Caring for Esteem
Vicious Concern for esteem and reputation: Vanity
Two vices of the desire for reputation
Vanity is characterised by:
a sense of self-regard or self-importance which results from a high estimation of one’s own qualities shaped by a need to be socially valued or esteemed (opening books at the bibliography)
an inability to accept one’s shortcomings which results in attempts to hide them from view. (caring that one seemed unable to answer a challenge, rather thyan trying to figure out the answer)
an all-consuming desire to be admired without wanting to be worthy of the admiration, which leads to a focus on comparing oneself with others (envy and spite).

10. Vicious Concern for esteem and reputation: Timidity
Caring for Esteem
Vicious Concern for esteem and reputation: Timidity
"Better keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than open it and remove all doubt.“ (Dennis Thatcher)
Timidity is characterised by
A sense of low-self-regard which is shaped by fear of others’ opinion of self
A resignation to one’s shortcomings often experienced as fixed
A preparedness to accept lack of attention (and/or low opinion) for the self in order to avoid risk of failure

11. Epistemic Harms of Vanity and Timidity
Caring for Esteem
Epistemic Harms of Vanity and Timidity
Vanity and timidity are obstacles to effective and responsible enquiry and this makes them vicious.
Harm as setback to interest
Harms ≠ wrongs

12. Harms to self Vanity and timidity are obstacles to self-knowledge
Caring for Esteem
Harms to self
Vanity and timidity are obstacles to self-knowledge
Vain ends up believing the vainglorious image she attempts to portray
Timid deprives herself of the information about self she would have if she were more courageous (information she could find out or others could provide)
Vanity and timidity are obstacles to responsible enquiry
Promote wishful thinking and biased reasoning
Vanity and timidity are stealthy

13. Caring for Esteem
Harms to others
Vanity and timidity make it less likely that others’ esteem about one is well judged.
They are therefore obstacles to the acquisition of knowledge about who is an expert, reliable competent etc.
Vanity undermines trust and the co-operativeness that is required in shared enquiry
Timidity may deprive the whole community of important sources of information