5/22/2023 0 Comments Mirror, Mirror by Simon Blackburn![]() ![]() Something striking has happened to the world when one is as likely to be told “love thyself” as “love thy neighbour.” It has been a central assumption, not only of the Christian tradition but of western philosophy more generally, that human beings are naturally selfish and that to live a good life one must extinguish precisely this trait. Unlike the therapists of today, he thought self-love needed no encouragement. Love others as you love yourself, was Jesus’s message. On this axiom temples have been built to the great god: “Me.” There are spa days, and candles around the bath, and all that slightly passive-aggressive talk about “boundaries.” The old religion has been turned on its head. It has become a mantra of our self-help culture that you cannot love other people unless you love yourself. Echo and Narcissus (1903) by John William Waterhouse: the philosopher Simon Blackburn argues that narcissism is on the rise ©Walker Art Gallery/ Bridgeman Art Library ![]()
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