Self-Respect in Higher Education

Abstract

I begin this chapter with research, reported recently in The Atlantic, on the surprising phenomenon that many successful women, all accomplished and highly competent, exhibit high degrees of self-doubt. Unlike the original research, this chapter aims to bring into view the role self-respect plays in higher education as another crucial explanatory factor. First, I clarify the main concepts that are relevant for gaining a clear view of the notion of self-respect: different kinds of self-respect and the connection to the notion of self-esteem are discussed. After this, in section III, I move on to the main theoretical positions that have historically put self-respect at the centre of their theorising. The story starts with Immanuel Kant, continues with John Rawls, and ends with the influential accounts of Axel Honneth, Avishai Margalit and several feminist thinkers. Having covered the theoretical and conceptual landscape, I finally connect selfrespect to higher education both on the systematic as well as the more applied level of thinking. I then wrap up the chapter by connecting back to The Atlantic story we have started out with as well as make suggestions of further reading for those with deeper interest in the topic.