Book contents
- Human Perfection, Transfiguration and Christian Ethics
- Reviews
- New Studies in Christian Ethics
- Human Perfection, Transfiguration and Christian Ethics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Human Perfection
- Chapter 1 Homo Perfectus
- Chapter 2 Glimpses of Artistic Perfection
- Chapter 3 Moral Perfection
- Chapter 4 Perfectionism
- Part II Jesus’ Perfection
- Part III Transfiguration and Global Perfection
- Select Bibliography in Christian Ethics
- Index
- Titles Published in the Series (continued from page )
- References
Chapter 4 - Perfectionism
from Part I - Human Perfection
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 May 2024
- Human Perfection, Transfiguration and Christian Ethics
- Reviews
- New Studies in Christian Ethics
- Human Perfection, Transfiguration and Christian Ethics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Human Perfection
- Chapter 1 Homo Perfectus
- Chapter 2 Glimpses of Artistic Perfection
- Chapter 3 Moral Perfection
- Chapter 4 Perfectionism
- Part II Jesus’ Perfection
- Part III Transfiguration and Global Perfection
- Select Bibliography in Christian Ethics
- Index
- Titles Published in the Series (continued from page )
- References
Summary
Chapter 4 looks at the more recent (and largely negative) concept of ‘perfectionism’ and, specifically (and with some reservations), at the distinction between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism within socio-psychology. This chapter looks critically at a recent ethical discussion by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics of cosmetic procedures designed to give people a ‘perfect body,’ but also notes that some form of obsessive perfectionism seems to be a feature of artistic, sporting and even moral genius. It offers human examples of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism, including Steve Jobs, Ludwig Wittgenstein and the theatre producer Peter Brook, and concludes that perfectionism can be both dysfunctional and functional.
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- Information
- Human Perfection, Transfiguration and Christian Ethics , pp. 82 - 98Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024