Self-Knowledge as a Personal Achievement

Early Modern and Contemporary Views on an Ancient Imperative
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-0-19-782990-5
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 232 Seiten, Print PDF, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 235 mm

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.

Self-Knowledge as a Personal Achievement proposes a novel approach to the idea that self-knowledge--or an improvement of it--is something to which we should aspire. Expressed in the Delphic injunction 'Know thyself', this idea has often been associated with Socrates, and has been passed down from the ancients through many centuries of philosophy. This emphasis on the importance of self-knowledge is largely absent in contemporary philosophical debate. Instead, philosophical research largely centers on the awareness of our mental states. Thus, it has been argued that there are two distinct kinds of self-knowledge: knowledge and awareness of our mental states and the kind of insight into our condition by which we attain a better understanding of ourselves.

Drawing on a variety of early modern philosophical texts, this book presents an alternative approach to the idea of Socratic self-knowledge. Its point of departure is idea that the concept of self-knowledge refers to a whole spectrum of possible epistemic self-relations. It argues that the kind of self-insight helping us to come closer to the ideal of Socratic self-knowledge is both possible and worth pursuing. We should seek to know ourselves better, both to obtain prudential benefit, and to find meaning in our lives.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Renz, Ursula

Inhaltsverzeichnis

- Introduction

- 1: Self-Knowledge as an Achievement in Human Excellence: Conceptual Prerequisites

- 2: Contemplating Others: Historical Models and the Role of Perspective-Taking

- 3: Vindicating Myself: I, Me, and the First-Person Origin of the Human Subject

- 4: Uses of Philosophy: Reflexive Habits, Considered Attitudes, and the Increase of Moral Integrity

- 5: Experienced Wisdom: Rewarding Feelings in the Presence of Life

- Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Ursula Renz is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Graz, Austria, and speaker of the History of Philosophy section. She has held professorships at Roskilde University and the University of Klagenfurt, and assistant professorships at the ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. She specializes in modern philosophy and has authored several monographs on various themes in Early Modern and 19th/20th century philosophy. She was awarded several grants and prizes, and since 2023, she is key researcher in Knowledge in Crisis, a cluster of excellence funded by the Austrian Science Foundation FWF.