Why Old Things Matter

James, Simon P.

Abstract

It is, I suggest, unclear whether any old inanimate objects deserve to be treated with respect simply because they are old. Yet this does not entail that an object’s age has no bearing at all on the question of how it may permissibly be treated. I defend the claim that those who fail to take seriously the histories of old inanimate objects typically deserve to be criticized on aretaic grounds. Such people, I argue, tend to lack the virtue of humility.

Citation

James, S. P. (2015). Why Old Things Matter. Journal of Moral Philosophy, 12(3), 313-329. https://doi.org/10.1163/17455243-4681038

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jun 26, 2015
• Deposit Date: Feb 11, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 26, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Moral Philosophy
• Print ISSN: 1740-4681
• Electronic ISSN: 1745-5243
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 313-329
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/17455243-4681038
• Keywords: Respect, Age, Virtue ethics, Inanimate objects, Narrative, Humility.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1497605