Research Group
in Analytic Philosophy

Abstract

Competitive rivalry is often taken to be an inevitable part of the creative life. It also spurs us on to learn and innovate. Consider Leonardo v. Michelangelo, Microsoft v. Apple or Crick and Watson v. Wilkins and Franklin. Yet, especially where money, prizes, opportunities and reputation are involved, competitiveness and ambition tend to be the mother and father to envy. The talk will look at the conceptualisation, psychology and normative appraisal of envy, in particular asking whether envy is a cost to be paid for lives devoted to creative excellence.