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Chapter 2 - A Theory of Glory

from Part I - Glory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 December 2024

Nir Eisikovits
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts, Boston
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Summary

This chapter develops a rudimentary theory of glory. Glory is a particularly elevated form of honor, a kind of “super recognition.” It is more exclusive and longer lasting than honor, and it is typically connected with promises of immortality and an “upgrade” of one’s reputation. We distinguish between political (or Periclean) and personal (or Achillean) glory. Personal glory is competitive by definition, political glory is not. We also discuss the scope of the term and suggested that determining the proper objects of glory (military, political, cultural, or even everyday pursuits) turns on the social role the concept is supposed to play. The status and role of glory change during different stages of a conflict. Early on (typically before a war starts) glory helps motivate people to fight for a cause. During the conflict, the preoccupation with glory usually fades among those who actually do the fighting, and after the conflict, the question of bestowing glory becomes subject to bureaucratic and social decisions. Furthermore, we argue that often those who actually do the fighting are not the ones who get glorified. We note the tension between positing that someone has a duty to fight and the practice of glorifying them for fulfilling that duty, and we also argue that glory is subject to both internal and external explanations. We conclude by tracing the relationship between glory and death, and examining the normativity of both Periclean and Achillean glory.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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  • A Theory of Glory
  • Nir Eisikovits, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Book: Glory, Humiliation, and the Drive to War
  • Online publication: 19 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009026451.004
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  • A Theory of Glory
  • Nir Eisikovits, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Book: Glory, Humiliation, and the Drive to War
  • Online publication: 19 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009026451.004
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • A Theory of Glory
  • Nir Eisikovits, University of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Book: Glory, Humiliation, and the Drive to War
  • Online publication: 19 December 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009026451.004
Available formats
×