Mirror, Mirror – The Uses and Abuses of Self-love

This subtle and erudite study explores the history and nature of self-love, showing that narcissism, vanity, pride and self-esteem are more complex than they seem, and in fact have numerous good and bad forms. As Blackburn ironically puts it, everyone deplores narcissism, especially in others. The fundamental theme is how we position ourselves among others in the social world. He explores hubris, self-esteem, pride, respect, temptation, sincerity and authenticity, drawing on a vast range of reading including Erasmus, Cicero, Rousseau, Hume, Kant and particularly Adam Smith with his work on moral sentiments and empathy. He shows how modern advertising such as L'Oreal's slogan 'because you're worth it' in fact implies that we are not worth it until we buy their product and enhance ourselves in the process. This tour of the social self necessarily leaves readers more self-aware as well as better informed and greatly entertained in the process.