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Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk
We are all guilty of it. We call people terrible names in conversation or online. We vilify those with whom we disagree, and make bolder claims than we could defend. We want to be seen as taking the moral high ground not just to make a point, or move a debate forward, but to look a certain way--incensed, or compassionate, or committed to a cause. We exaggerate. In other words, we grandstand.
Nowhere is this more evident than in public discourse today, and especially as it plays out across the internet. To philosophers Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke, who have written extensively about moral grandstanding, such one-upmanship is not just annoying, but dangerous. As politics gets more and more polarized, people on both sides of the spectrum move further and further apart when they let grandstanding get in the way of engaging one another. The pollution of our most urgent conversations with self-interest damages the very causes they are meant to forward.
Drawing from work in psychology, economics, and political science, and along with contemporary examples spanning the political spectrum, the authors dive deeply into why and how we grandstand. Using the analytic tools of psychology and moral philosophy, they explain what drives us to behave in this way, and what we stand to lose by taking it too far. Most importantly, they show how, by avoiding grandstanding, we can re-build a public square worth participating in.
Nowhere is this more evident than in public discourse today, and especially as it plays out across the internet. To philosophers Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke, who have written extensively about moral grandstanding, such one-upmanship is not just annoying, but dangerous. As politics gets more and more polarized, people on both sides of the spectrum move further and further apart when they let grandstanding get in the way of engaging one another. The pollution of our most urgent conversations with self-interest damages the very causes they are meant to forward.
Drawing from work in psychology, economics, and political science, and along with contemporary examples spanning the political spectrum, the authors dive deeply into why and how we grandstand. Using the analytic tools of psychology and moral philosophy, they explain what drives us to behave in this way, and what we stand to lose by taking it too far. Most importantly, they show how, by avoiding grandstanding, we can re-build a public square worth participating in.
248 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2020
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August 31, 2020I essentially agree with the thesis of the book but I found that the points it made were already very clear to me. If you understand what the term "virtue-signalling" means you probably get the argument made by the book. People often use moral rhetoric for the purpose of looking righteous or to dominate others rather than to effect positive change. This is particularly bad on social media and it has had recognizable downstream effects on our politics. The best we can hope for is that new norms are fostered gradually over time, including recognizing and isolating obvious grandstanders. College students would probably he helped by having this book assigned to them in classes. Generally speaking however the grandstanding people who need to read this condemnation most will not read it.
It's not clear whether the platforms we have at the moment are effective for healthy political discourse that operates in good faith and not largely on emotion and status-seeking. If you want to read more in-depth about how and why people seek recognition for themselves at all costs read The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama.
It's not clear whether the platforms we have at the moment are effective for healthy political discourse that operates in good faith and not largely on emotion and status-seeking. If you want to read more in-depth about how and why people seek recognition for themselves at all costs read The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama.
June 10, 2022
الكتاب 8 فصول، مكتوب بطريقة أكاديمية مفصّلة، وفيه بعض التكرار الملل أحياناً لكنه مفيد ومهم.
ما أحد يقرأه إلا ويشعر أنه مارس الاستعراض يوماً -بقصد أو دون قصد- ولا غضاضة في ذلك.
المهم أن تعي متى تقبضُ على نفسك متلبساً به وتهرب منه.
الفصل الرابع (التبعات الاجتماعية للاستعراض) من أجمل فصول الكتاب وهو أكثر ما لفت نظري، وكيف أن عمليات الاستقطاب المكثفة التي يمارسها المغرّدون ومستخدمو وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي بشكل عام لها دور بارز في تشجيع الآخرين للتقليد وممارسة الاستعراض المضاد.
أما في الفصل السادس (أيستعرض الصالحون؟) فالجواب القريب: نعم.
لا أحد يخلو من الاستعراض، لكن بعضهم يموّه الاستعراض بأسباب أخلاقية ليكون كلامهم مقبولاً، وملبّساً بالفضيلة.
أما في الفصل الأخير: (ماذا نفعل بشأن الاستعراض) فأغلب النصائح التي فيه مناسبة ومميزة، فمنها تصحيح المعتقدات للآخرين بأسلوب لبق ومؤدب، وأن تكون أسوة حسنة في التقليل من الاستعراض وممارسة حياتك بشكل طبيعي، وفي المرحلة الأخيرة عقاب المستعرض بأساليب متنوعة انظرها في الكتاب.
بقيت فكرة مهمة في الكتاب نسيتُ التنويه إليها وهي: استنزاف الحنق، ومؤداها أن المرء إذا اعتاد مشاهدة ما يستفزه ويغضبه -سواء عبّر عنه أو لم يعبّر- فإنّه رويداً رويداً يفقد الإحساس بما يثير الغضب حقاً، ويعجز عن حشد الغضب في الوقت المناسب.
يقول المؤلف: "ولاعتيادنا المحفز الانفعالي، فإن الأمر ينتهي بالذين ينخرطون في دوائر الغضب باستمرار بأن يغدو تأثرهم أقل بما كان يثير غضبهم للغاية. لذا فإن المحاولات المستمرة لتعزيز الغضب تخفق على المدى الطويل، إذ نكف عن رؤية آخر ما أثار سخطنا مستحقاً للغضب".
ما أحد يقرأه إلا ويشعر أنه مارس الاستعراض يوماً -بقصد أو دون قصد- ولا غضاضة في ذلك.
المهم أن تعي متى تقبضُ على نفسك متلبساً به وتهرب منه.
الفصل الرابع (التبعات الاجتماعية للاستعراض) من أجمل فصول الكتاب وهو أكثر ما لفت نظري، وكيف أن عمليات الاستقطاب المكثفة التي يمارسها المغرّدون ومستخدمو وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي بشكل عام لها دور بارز في تشجيع الآخرين للتقليد وممارسة الاستعراض المضاد.
أما في الفصل السادس (أيستعرض الصالحون؟) فالجواب القريب: نعم.
لا أحد يخلو من الاستعراض، لكن بعضهم يموّه الاستعراض بأسباب أخلاقية ليكون كلامهم مقبولاً، وملبّساً بالفضيلة.
أما في الفصل الأخير: (ماذا نفعل بشأن الاستعراض) فأغلب النصائح التي فيه مناسبة ومميزة، فمنها تصحيح المعتقدات للآخرين بأسلوب لبق ومؤدب، وأن تكون أسوة حسنة في التقليل من الاستعراض وممارسة حياتك بشكل طبيعي، وفي المرحلة الأخيرة عقاب المستعرض بأساليب متنوعة انظرها في الكتاب.
بقيت فكرة مهمة في الكتاب نسيتُ التنويه إليها وهي: استنزاف الحنق، ومؤداها أن المرء إذا اعتاد مشاهدة ما يستفزه ويغضبه -سواء عبّر عنه أو لم يعبّر- فإنّه رويداً رويداً يفقد الإحساس بما يثير الغضب حقاً، ويعجز عن حشد الغضب في الوقت المناسب.
يقول المؤلف: "ولاعتيادنا المحفز الانفعالي، فإن الأمر ينتهي بالذين ينخرطون في دوائر الغضب باستمرار بأن يغدو تأثرهم أقل بما كان يثير غضبهم للغاية. لذا فإن المحاولات المستمرة لتعزيز الغضب تخفق على المدى الطويل، إذ نكف عن رؤية آخر ما أثار سخطنا مستحقاً للغضب".
November 7, 2022
المؤلف يستحق جائزة من نوعٍ ما تُمنح للأشخاص القادرين على تحويل موضوع مثير وممتع إلى مادة مملة وباعثة على الضجر. الأمر الآخر الذي أزعجني في الكتاب هو أن المؤلف مسكون بهاجس إقناع القارئ بصحة فرضياته والتسليم بها مما جعله يقع في فخ التكرار، والذي بدوره فاقم من شعوري بالملل من الكتاب .. أو ربما كان سببًا له.
October 10, 2022
3rd read:
This was my third time reading this book. It’s like therapy for me (lol). I was canceled in 2019 and could not figure out what the hell happened to me. Recently, people from three years ago, when this happened started popping up again, sabotaging new professional relationships I’ve been making, and I needed a refresher on what in God’s name is going through their minds. I had questions like, “Why do these people feel the need to tell a complete stranger about something that happened three years ago?”, and the book reminds me that they’re doing it to grandstand via moral talk.
Tosi and Warmke do an excellent job explaining in this book why it’s a problem. But after reading this book for a third time, I still don’t see anything getting much better. Personally, I believe as more people continue to be on the wrong end of grandstanding, we may begin to see more of a shift. Because right now, it’s still rewarded.
2nd read:
I love this book so damn much, and it breaks my heart on a regular basis that it’s not some sort of bestseller on every list imaginable. Warmke and Tosi did a phenomenal job breaking down one of the primary problems we face today, which is grandstanding. I read this book when it first came out and even had the pleasure of having Justin Tosi on my podcast. Recently, with all of the CRT debates, I’ve been sitting back, looking at Twitter, and I just kept thinking about this book. Too often, people are simply signaling to others within their group about their morality, and as the authors describe in this book, there are consequences to this. There’s a time and a place for moral talk, but we’re living in a time where people abuse moral talk for their own personal gain and ego, which is why this book is such a crucial read.
This was my third time reading this book. It’s like therapy for me (lol). I was canceled in 2019 and could not figure out what the hell happened to me. Recently, people from three years ago, when this happened started popping up again, sabotaging new professional relationships I’ve been making, and I needed a refresher on what in God’s name is going through their minds. I had questions like, “Why do these people feel the need to tell a complete stranger about something that happened three years ago?”, and the book reminds me that they’re doing it to grandstand via moral talk.
Tosi and Warmke do an excellent job explaining in this book why it’s a problem. But after reading this book for a third time, I still don’t see anything getting much better. Personally, I believe as more people continue to be on the wrong end of grandstanding, we may begin to see more of a shift. Because right now, it’s still rewarded.
2nd read:
I love this book so damn much, and it breaks my heart on a regular basis that it’s not some sort of bestseller on every list imaginable. Warmke and Tosi did a phenomenal job breaking down one of the primary problems we face today, which is grandstanding. I read this book when it first came out and even had the pleasure of having Justin Tosi on my podcast. Recently, with all of the CRT debates, I’ve been sitting back, looking at Twitter, and I just kept thinking about this book. Too often, people are simply signaling to others within their group about their morality, and as the authors describe in this book, there are consequences to this. There’s a time and a place for moral talk, but we’re living in a time where people abuse moral talk for their own personal gain and ego, which is why this book is such a crucial read.
August 31, 2020
NOTE: I wrote the following review for the Sept/Oct 2020 issue of Influence magazine. Influence is a Christian leadership magazine published by the Assemblies of God (USA). My take on Grandstanding thus includes a reflection on what ministers might learn from this book. The book itself, however, works from secular premises, and the authors evince no particular religious commitment one way or another. So, please don't mistake how I applied the book to Christian ministers for the aims its authors intended.
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Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke’s Grandstanding is a work of philosophy informed by psychology. Its authors evince no religious commitments one way or another, and they work from secular premises. So, you might wonder why I’m recommending their book in a magazine for Christian ministers.
The answer is that Grandstanding trains a searchlight on “the use and abuse of moral talk,” in the words of its subtitle. Moral talk is an intrinsic part of spiritual leadership. Proclaiming the moral excellency of Jesus and calling believers to imitate His example are among a Christian ministers’ most basic duties (e.g., Philippians 2:5; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). But with this duty comes a temptation to abuse moral talk.
For example, Jesus once told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray (Luke 18:9–14). The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” The tax collector, on the other hand, prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” According to Jesus, only the tax collector went home “justified before God.”
Tosi and Warmke would describe the Pharisee’s prayer as an example of grandstanding, that is, “the use of moral talk for self-promotion.” Grandstanding consists of two elements: “Recognition Desire” and “Grandstanding Expression.” In other words, grandstanders want “to impress others with their moral qualities,” the authors write, and they “try to satisfy that desire by saying something in public moral discourse.”
Grandstanding can take a number of forms. Tosi and Warmke identify five, which they term piling on, ramping up, trumping up, expressing strong emotions, and dismissiveness. The Pharisee’s prayer, for example, combines a strong emotion of disgust (toward lawbreakers and tax collectors) with an air of dismissiveness (as if the Pharisee’s righteousness were self-evident). All five forms of grandstanding are legion on social media, especially Twitter.
Interestingly, write Tosi and Warmke, “You don’t have to know you’re grandstanding in order to grandstand, nor do you have to say anything false.” Perhaps, like the Pharisee, you really think you’re that good and others that bad. And maybe the others actually are nasty pieces of work, while you’re an upstanding citizen by comparison. Regardless of whether you’re witting or wrong, however, you’re still grandstanding. Jesus criticized the Pharisee for exalting himself, after all — not for telling a lie.
But if grandstanding can be unwitting and truthful, what exactly is the problem? As moral philosophers, Tosi and Warmke draw on the three main streams of ethical theory — consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics — to describe what’s wrong with grandstanding. In a nutshell, they argue, grandstanding has social costs, it disrespects people, and it manifests a defect in moral character.
The social costs of grandstanding include “polarization, cynicism, and outrage exhaustion.” Grandstanding disrespects people “by using others to show how good the grandstander is, or by misleading others about how good the grandstander is.” And it manifests a defect in moral character because to be virtuous, “you must do the right thing for the right reasons.” A grandstander, however, is selfishly (that is, wrongly) motivated.
Tosi and Warmke conclude Grandstanding by suggesting several strategies, both personal and social, for reducing self-promoting moral talk. As the United States enters the home stretch of its presidential election season, these strategies are helpful, especially for spiritual leaders like you and me whose calling requires speaking prophetically — that is, morally — to the pressing issues of the day.
But let us make sure we speak with clean hands and a pure heart. “It is far less important to identify grandstanding in others,” Tosi and Warmke write, “than it is to know how to avoid it in ourselves.” Or, as Jesus put it, “first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
Only by doing so will we avoid the Pharisee’s temptation to abuse moral talk for selfish ends.
Book Reviewed
Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke, Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
P.P.S. This review appears in the September/October 2020 issue of Influence magazine and is posted here with permission.
-----
Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke’s Grandstanding is a work of philosophy informed by psychology. Its authors evince no religious commitments one way or another, and they work from secular premises. So, you might wonder why I’m recommending their book in a magazine for Christian ministers.
The answer is that Grandstanding trains a searchlight on “the use and abuse of moral talk,” in the words of its subtitle. Moral talk is an intrinsic part of spiritual leadership. Proclaiming the moral excellency of Jesus and calling believers to imitate His example are among a Christian ministers’ most basic duties (e.g., Philippians 2:5; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). But with this duty comes a temptation to abuse moral talk.
For example, Jesus once told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray (Luke 18:9–14). The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” The tax collector, on the other hand, prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” According to Jesus, only the tax collector went home “justified before God.”
Tosi and Warmke would describe the Pharisee’s prayer as an example of grandstanding, that is, “the use of moral talk for self-promotion.” Grandstanding consists of two elements: “Recognition Desire” and “Grandstanding Expression.” In other words, grandstanders want “to impress others with their moral qualities,” the authors write, and they “try to satisfy that desire by saying something in public moral discourse.”
Grandstanding can take a number of forms. Tosi and Warmke identify five, which they term piling on, ramping up, trumping up, expressing strong emotions, and dismissiveness. The Pharisee’s prayer, for example, combines a strong emotion of disgust (toward lawbreakers and tax collectors) with an air of dismissiveness (as if the Pharisee’s righteousness were self-evident). All five forms of grandstanding are legion on social media, especially Twitter.
Interestingly, write Tosi and Warmke, “You don’t have to know you’re grandstanding in order to grandstand, nor do you have to say anything false.” Perhaps, like the Pharisee, you really think you’re that good and others that bad. And maybe the others actually are nasty pieces of work, while you’re an upstanding citizen by comparison. Regardless of whether you’re witting or wrong, however, you’re still grandstanding. Jesus criticized the Pharisee for exalting himself, after all — not for telling a lie.
But if grandstanding can be unwitting and truthful, what exactly is the problem? As moral philosophers, Tosi and Warmke draw on the three main streams of ethical theory — consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics — to describe what’s wrong with grandstanding. In a nutshell, they argue, grandstanding has social costs, it disrespects people, and it manifests a defect in moral character.
The social costs of grandstanding include “polarization, cynicism, and outrage exhaustion.” Grandstanding disrespects people “by using others to show how good the grandstander is, or by misleading others about how good the grandstander is.” And it manifests a defect in moral character because to be virtuous, “you must do the right thing for the right reasons.” A grandstander, however, is selfishly (that is, wrongly) motivated.
Tosi and Warmke conclude Grandstanding by suggesting several strategies, both personal and social, for reducing self-promoting moral talk. As the United States enters the home stretch of its presidential election season, these strategies are helpful, especially for spiritual leaders like you and me whose calling requires speaking prophetically — that is, morally — to the pressing issues of the day.
But let us make sure we speak with clean hands and a pure heart. “It is far less important to identify grandstanding in others,” Tosi and Warmke write, “than it is to know how to avoid it in ourselves.” Or, as Jesus put it, “first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
Only by doing so will we avoid the Pharisee’s temptation to abuse moral talk for selfish ends.
Book Reviewed
Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke, Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
P.P.S. This review appears in the September/October 2020 issue of Influence magazine and is posted here with permission.
September 25, 2021
I enjoyed Grandstanding and found it thought provoking. I would recommend it to people interested in the problems of current political discourse, although I don't know that I would call it a "must read." The book did a good job of making the concept of grandstanding clearer, more vivid, and more recognizable. Also, the book did a good job of showing how it contributes negatively to political and moral discourse. I have three main criticisms. First, I think the book was written for too wide a readership. It's meant to address people anywhere on the political spectrum, who thinks in terms of any moral theory, without needing any prior knowledge about ethics. This makes some of the arguments (especially the argument that grandstanding is disrespectful) a bit underdeveloped. Second, the book could do more to address those who feel very confident that they belong to a just political movement and that grandstanding that promotes their agenda should be accepted or overlooked. Third, the book could do a better job giving guidance on how to convince people to stop grandstanding. Still, I think this is a pretty good book.
Read
October 20, 2022كلام سليم مكتوب بطريقة مملة.
August 22, 2020
I have to believe no one on Twitter has ever read this book.
August 22, 2020
It’s melting the internet and burning up several of news outlets. It makes informed dialogue among people nearly impossible, cracking up the sense of and desire for the common good. It looks and feels like chest-thumping and cock-strutting, and is turning up, with greater intensity, in the Whitehouse, the publishing house, and at the alehouse. Recently, a well-documented 248-page hardback has arrived on the scene diagnosing this “more-heat-than-light” predicament, “Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk”. The authors, Justin Tosi - Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Texas Tech University, and Brandon Warmke - Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University, want to foster moral talk, but find huge obstacles. “People need to be able to talk about justice, freedom, equality, and the right thing to do. But we need to do so in ways that do good, and not just make ourselves look good. Grandstanders are too concerned with the latter” (ix). It’s an easy-to-read volume, accessible to older students, professors, pastors, and folks from almost any walk of life.
“Grandstanding” has a simple order to it. After the birds-eye view from the preface, the authors then draw out seven chapters that expose what grandstanding is, looks and sounds like from social media to politics. The final chapter is a “what do we do with this knowledge” and goes where readers may not fully expect. Each chapter is chock-full of true-to-life, documented illustrations, and careful analysis of every case. And the endnotes are splashing over with references and documentation. It may be a smallish book, but it carries a weighty credibility.
Tosi and Warmke promote the value and significance of moral talk. From one end of the volume to the other, they stand up for it (6). The problem, as they see it, is that grandstanding actually shuts down moral conversation. “Unfortunately, many people use moral talk irresponsibly. They use it to humiliate, intimidate, and threaten people they dislike, impress their friends, feel better about themselves, and make people less suspicious about their own misconduct…For these people, moral talk is magic…magically transforms your nasty, abusive, selfish behavior into something heroic and praiseworthy” (5). To take this approach, then, undermines our efforts at moral improvement (6, 10). Grandstanding also turns public discourse into a war of moral one-upmanship (10).
Why do people grandstand? Tosi and Warmke give several motives (14-23). There is recognition desire, where we want others to think we’re morally impressive and respectable. There is also the urge to dominate others. This is the move one makes to take others down a notch or three with a “Shut up and submit to my view of the world or I’ll shame and embarrass you! I’m the morally good one here” (17)! Another intention is the need to express ourselves in ways “to get people to believe that” we “are morally special” (18). The authors further tackle the various techniques people use, such as implication, indirect language, humble-bragging, moral self-enhancement, to name a few. One of the humorous findings the authors mention is how people normally think they are more moral than they really are – the illusion of moral superiority (25), and they present studies that back this up. I appreciated how they clearly show that grandstanding is neither a Republican nor Democrat issue but crosses the political/social spectrum. The downside is that centrists (where most people are) end up shutting themselves out of moral talk because of the grandstanding. In interesting ways, grandstanding hampers, and halters freedom of speech (35). Tosi and Warmke bring out several other diagnostic tools, which makes this an extremely helpful guide.
According to the authors, grandstanding has been with us all along, but now, with the ease with which the masses can air their prejudices, politics, plots and plans, it is harder to avoid seeing grandstanding than ever before (xi). They are careful not to lay the fault on social media as the main culprit, though many of their characterizations explode onto every virtual platform one visits.
As a reader dives into the book, it will become clear that the authors are undressing motivations, and that is a tricky place to be. Tosi and Warmke recognize this and give many hearty cautions and healthy counsels. Ultimately, the book is primarily for the reader to evaluate themself if they dare. As the authors say early on, this “book is about looking at ourselves squarely and honestly and asking whether we are doing good with our moral talk, or just trying to look good” (10). And that is where they return in their final chapter, “What to Do About Grandstanding?” If a reader has any self-awareness as they read, there will be lots of internal reflection. As my grandmother used to say, “Boy, when you point that finger at others, just remember, there are three more pointing right back at you!” I was tempted, page-after-page, to wish so-and-so would read this book, and then found myself hanging my head as I recognized that I have done these very things.
“Grandstanding” will kick one’s backside, but not self-righteously or sanctimoniously. The authors see their own faults and write from that place. This book is perfect for individual readers, book clubs, Adult Christian Education classes, Seminary and Bible College classes, and church leadership boards. It is a must, especially if you are engaged on social media, or are a public figure. I highly recommend the book.
My thanks to the authors and Oxford University Press. I heard the authors interviewed on a podcast about the book and immediately asked them for a copy to review. They referred me to the publisher who promptly sent me an electronic version used for this evaluation. No one made any demands on me, therefore my analysis is freely made and freely given.
“Grandstanding” has a simple order to it. After the birds-eye view from the preface, the authors then draw out seven chapters that expose what grandstanding is, looks and sounds like from social media to politics. The final chapter is a “what do we do with this knowledge” and goes where readers may not fully expect. Each chapter is chock-full of true-to-life, documented illustrations, and careful analysis of every case. And the endnotes are splashing over with references and documentation. It may be a smallish book, but it carries a weighty credibility.
Tosi and Warmke promote the value and significance of moral talk. From one end of the volume to the other, they stand up for it (6). The problem, as they see it, is that grandstanding actually shuts down moral conversation. “Unfortunately, many people use moral talk irresponsibly. They use it to humiliate, intimidate, and threaten people they dislike, impress their friends, feel better about themselves, and make people less suspicious about their own misconduct…For these people, moral talk is magic…magically transforms your nasty, abusive, selfish behavior into something heroic and praiseworthy” (5). To take this approach, then, undermines our efforts at moral improvement (6, 10). Grandstanding also turns public discourse into a war of moral one-upmanship (10).
Why do people grandstand? Tosi and Warmke give several motives (14-23). There is recognition desire, where we want others to think we’re morally impressive and respectable. There is also the urge to dominate others. This is the move one makes to take others down a notch or three with a “Shut up and submit to my view of the world or I’ll shame and embarrass you! I’m the morally good one here” (17)! Another intention is the need to express ourselves in ways “to get people to believe that” we “are morally special” (18). The authors further tackle the various techniques people use, such as implication, indirect language, humble-bragging, moral self-enhancement, to name a few. One of the humorous findings the authors mention is how people normally think they are more moral than they really are – the illusion of moral superiority (25), and they present studies that back this up. I appreciated how they clearly show that grandstanding is neither a Republican nor Democrat issue but crosses the political/social spectrum. The downside is that centrists (where most people are) end up shutting themselves out of moral talk because of the grandstanding. In interesting ways, grandstanding hampers, and halters freedom of speech (35). Tosi and Warmke bring out several other diagnostic tools, which makes this an extremely helpful guide.
According to the authors, grandstanding has been with us all along, but now, with the ease with which the masses can air their prejudices, politics, plots and plans, it is harder to avoid seeing grandstanding than ever before (xi). They are careful not to lay the fault on social media as the main culprit, though many of their characterizations explode onto every virtual platform one visits.
As a reader dives into the book, it will become clear that the authors are undressing motivations, and that is a tricky place to be. Tosi and Warmke recognize this and give many hearty cautions and healthy counsels. Ultimately, the book is primarily for the reader to evaluate themself if they dare. As the authors say early on, this “book is about looking at ourselves squarely and honestly and asking whether we are doing good with our moral talk, or just trying to look good” (10). And that is where they return in their final chapter, “What to Do About Grandstanding?” If a reader has any self-awareness as they read, there will be lots of internal reflection. As my grandmother used to say, “Boy, when you point that finger at others, just remember, there are three more pointing right back at you!” I was tempted, page-after-page, to wish so-and-so would read this book, and then found myself hanging my head as I recognized that I have done these very things.
“Grandstanding” will kick one’s backside, but not self-righteously or sanctimoniously. The authors see their own faults and write from that place. This book is perfect for individual readers, book clubs, Adult Christian Education classes, Seminary and Bible College classes, and church leadership boards. It is a must, especially if you are engaged on social media, or are a public figure. I highly recommend the book.
My thanks to the authors and Oxford University Press. I heard the authors interviewed on a podcast about the book and immediately asked them for a copy to review. They referred me to the publisher who promptly sent me an electronic version used for this evaluation. No one made any demands on me, therefore my analysis is freely made and freely given.
March 31, 2021
Una (triste) radiografía de la discusión pública y específicamente la política. Le regalaría una copia a varios de nuestros legisladores y miembros del ejecutivo para subirle el pelo al debate y dejar de moralizar todos los problemas.
January 24, 2021
There are very few books that I find myself thinking about buying extra copies to have on hand to give to people. This is one of them. The authors do a great job getting at the heart of grandstanding and addressing the (largely) problematic nature of grandstanding. They admit that there may be some benefits to grandstanding, grandstanding mostly shuts down conversation while being more of a performative act for personal recognition cloaked in moral language, undermining the value of moral language in the process. The chapter on politics was quite apt, especially reading it in the first weeks of 2021. As I read it, it felt like many people on social had to be using that chapter as a script of how to go about things, which only strengthened the insightful critique that it actually is. While I think that many people would have much to gain by reading this book, I fear that recommending this book to the largest grandstanders in my life would only give them more ammunition in their grandstanding against those who grandstand with opposite views from them. However, if you're willing to look at yourself and your use of moral language, especially in your public commentary, and want to be part of the solution to our divided culture, I highly recommend this book.
December 7, 2020
I picked this up, hoping to gain the perspective of two philosophers on the kind of morally driven political discourse that seems to have become more common in the US, particularly on social media platforms like Twitter.
The authors are broadly critical of these trends, and they aren’t shy about their views. Putting that aside, the first few chapters deliver a helpful framework, kind of a taxonomy, for understanding the resort to “moral talk” (or “grandstanding” or “virtue signaling”).
The book loses steam. The first few chapters would’ve made a great essay. But the authors wander around for a few chapters, dipping into psychology, political science, and other fields where the authors’ expertise seems to shed less light. The final chapter mixes interesting insights with some dubious self-help style how-to’s. Whatever punch it packed was diminished by the end.
The authors are broadly critical of these trends, and they aren’t shy about their views. Putting that aside, the first few chapters deliver a helpful framework, kind of a taxonomy, for understanding the resort to “moral talk” (or “grandstanding” or “virtue signaling”).
The book loses steam. The first few chapters would’ve made a great essay. But the authors wander around for a few chapters, dipping into psychology, political science, and other fields where the authors’ expertise seems to shed less light. The final chapter mixes interesting insights with some dubious self-help style how-to’s. Whatever punch it packed was diminished by the end.
September 28, 2021
A thoughtful and surprisingly rich exploration of the concept of moral grandstanding. One might have thought that at 200+ pages there would be a lot of filler, but the authors have done a great job of making each page meaningful. You get the sense that they thought deeply and cautiously about the topic. What is moral grandstanding? Is it a problem? Is it ever justifiable? How can we detect it in ourselves and others? Perhaps it is unrealistic to expect that reading this be made a prerequisite to social media access, but alas there would be upsides to that! There is nothing about the subject matter that inherently limits it to social media (there was plenty of grandstanding before social media), though some of these things seem to be magnified on social media. This book is a pretty good example of a deep, focused, useful treatment of a sensitive topic in a way that is very even-handed.
June 10, 2020
Deep and surprisingly broad
When I first started in, I was having a hard time believing that an entire book could be dedicated to the relatively narrow topic of grandstanding. However, the more I read, the more I learned how far the topic reaches - from simple discourse, to social media, morality, politics, and beyond. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
When I first started in, I was having a hard time believing that an entire book could be dedicated to the relatively narrow topic of grandstanding. However, the more I read, the more I learned how far the topic reaches - from simple discourse, to social media, morality, politics, and beyond. Thoroughly enjoyable read.
October 25, 2021
يقف هذا الكتاب أمامنا كالمرأة التي تبصرنا بعيب خفي، قد يكون مقصوداً متعمداً، وقد يكون تلقائياً، إلا أنه في كلا الحالتين سلوك غير محمود، وهو من التباهي الذي يعظم شعور الأنا ومن ثم يوصل إلى الكِبر والاستعلاء المقيت.
عالج المؤلفان هذه الحالة سياسياً ومجتمعياً من خلال الحوار، وإلا فالاستعراض أشمل من هذا.
عالج المؤلفان هذه الحالة سياسياً ومجتمعياً من خلال الحوار، وإلا فالاستعراض أشمل من هذا.
October 6, 2020
2020.10.04–2020.10.06
I want to see more popular academic (audio)books done like this: The book’s topic is clear, timely, and important, and it has a good structure that stays on topic. It’s not too long nor all over the place, like many popular books are.
This is better than what I would expect if this were done as part of a series like OUP’s Very Short Introductions, or the MIT Press Essential Knowledge. Well done!
Contents
Tosi J & Warmke B (2020) (06:27) Grandstanding - The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Moral Talk Is Not Magic
• “How About You Get Cancer”
• Moral Talk
• Grandstanding: From Harvey Weinstein to Roy Moore
• How to Criticize This Book
2. What Is Moral Grandstanding?
• Grandstanding: A Very Short Introduction
• The Basic Account of Moral Grandstanding
• • The Recognition Desire
• • The Grandstanding Expression
• Do Grandstanders Think They Are Morally Respectable?
• Witting and Unwitting Grandstanding
• Grandstanding and Falsehood
• Does Grandstanding Work?
• Is Grandstanding Just a “Left-Wing Problem”?
• Are We Grandstanding?
• What About “Virtue Signaling”?
• Conclusion
3. Grandstanding: A Field Guide
• Piling On
• Ramping Up
• Trumping Up
• Strong Emotions
• Dismissiveness
• A Foolproof Test?
4. The Social Costs of Grandstanding
• Polarization
• • False Beliefs
• • Overconfidence
• Cynicism
• The Costs of Grandstanding-Driven Outrage
• • The Crying Wolf Problem
• • Outrage Exhaustion
• • Moderates Check Out
• The Social Benefits of Grandstanding
5. Grandstanding and Respect
• Showcasing
• Deceit
• Free-Riding
• Conclusion
6. Would a Virtuous Person Grandstand?
• Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason
• Grandstanding and Civic Virtue
• Virtues and Consequences
• Vanity as Virtue?
• Is Grandstanding Virtuous After All?
• Grandstanding and Nietzsche
• Conclusion
7. Politics as Morality Pageant
• Why Do Politicians Grandstand?
• The No Compromise Problem
• The Expressive Policy Problem
• The Paradox of Solving Social Problems
• Benefits of Political Grandstanding?
• Conclusion
8. What to Do About Grandstanding
• Against Calling Out
• Personal Change
• • Engineer Your Situations
• • Plan to Succeed
• • Redirect Your Recognition Desire
• Social Change
• • Step 1: Correcting Beliefs
• • Step 2: Set a Good Example
• • Step 3: Sanction Grandstanders
• A Reason for Optimism
Notes
Bibliography
Index
I want to see more popular academic (audio)books done like this: The book’s topic is clear, timely, and important, and it has a good structure that stays on topic. It’s not too long nor all over the place, like many popular books are.
This is better than what I would expect if this were done as part of a series like OUP’s Very Short Introductions, or the MIT Press Essential Knowledge. Well done!
Contents
Tosi J & Warmke B (2020) (06:27) Grandstanding - The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Moral Talk Is Not Magic
• “How About You Get Cancer”
• Moral Talk
• Grandstanding: From Harvey Weinstein to Roy Moore
• How to Criticize This Book
2. What Is Moral Grandstanding?
• Grandstanding: A Very Short Introduction
• The Basic Account of Moral Grandstanding
• • The Recognition Desire
• • The Grandstanding Expression
• Do Grandstanders Think They Are Morally Respectable?
• Witting and Unwitting Grandstanding
• Grandstanding and Falsehood
• Does Grandstanding Work?
• Is Grandstanding Just a “Left-Wing Problem”?
• Are We Grandstanding?
• What About “Virtue Signaling”?
• Conclusion
3. Grandstanding: A Field Guide
• Piling On
• Ramping Up
• Trumping Up
• Strong Emotions
• Dismissiveness
• A Foolproof Test?
4. The Social Costs of Grandstanding
• Polarization
• • False Beliefs
• • Overconfidence
• Cynicism
• The Costs of Grandstanding-Driven Outrage
• • The Crying Wolf Problem
• • Outrage Exhaustion
• • Moderates Check Out
• The Social Benefits of Grandstanding
5. Grandstanding and Respect
• Showcasing
• Deceit
• Free-Riding
• Conclusion
6. Would a Virtuous Person Grandstand?
• Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason
• Grandstanding and Civic Virtue
• Virtues and Consequences
• Vanity as Virtue?
• Is Grandstanding Virtuous After All?
• Grandstanding and Nietzsche
• Conclusion
7. Politics as Morality Pageant
• Why Do Politicians Grandstand?
• The No Compromise Problem
• The Expressive Policy Problem
• The Paradox of Solving Social Problems
• Benefits of Political Grandstanding?
• Conclusion
8. What to Do About Grandstanding
• Against Calling Out
• Personal Change
• • Engineer Your Situations
• • Plan to Succeed
• • Redirect Your Recognition Desire
• Social Change
• • Step 1: Correcting Beliefs
• • Step 2: Set a Good Example
• • Step 3: Sanction Grandstanders
• A Reason for Optimism
Notes
Bibliography
Index
May 31, 2023
A rather boring, but necessary book.
What is discussed on Grandstanding needed to be defined and recorded somewhere, but it really doesn't offer new information to a problem most of us know and understand intuitively. That for all the moral talk going on today in social media, some use it as a form of social and emotional currency in order to feel better themselves and not further whatever cause it is they champion. Very little was said about the role of technology in enabling such problem and little solutions were offered, but it had to be put down on paper.
This book is the basis, the premise even of an important discussion that we need to collectively have. It's too philosophical and academic to commit to a stance on the question (Grandstanding is wrong except when it isn't), but it's as good as a point to start as any.
What is discussed on Grandstanding needed to be defined and recorded somewhere, but it really doesn't offer new information to a problem most of us know and understand intuitively. That for all the moral talk going on today in social media, some use it as a form of social and emotional currency in order to feel better themselves and not further whatever cause it is they champion. Very little was said about the role of technology in enabling such problem and little solutions were offered, but it had to be put down on paper.
This book is the basis, the premise even of an important discussion that we need to collectively have. It's too philosophical and academic to commit to a stance on the question (Grandstanding is wrong except when it isn't), but it's as good as a point to start as any.
March 1, 2021
Excellent, well-worth the read!
August 24, 2021
Why does modern-day public discourse feel so undeniably polarized and hostile? The authors convincingly reason this unpleasant situation stems in part from our pervasive bombardment with moral grandstanding, moral talk for self-promotion.
Moral grandstanding is what many people mean by "virtue signaling." Does anyone think you can't virtue signal your way to a better world?
What to do? The book concludes by suggesting several strategies for reducing self-promoting moral talk or social media posts.
One may sound familiar. The strategy of “It is far less important to identify grandstanding in others, than it is to know how to avoid it in ourselves.” sounds much like “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!” (Matthew 7:5)
Moral grandstanding is what many people mean by "virtue signaling." Does anyone think you can't virtue signal your way to a better world?
What to do? The book concludes by suggesting several strategies for reducing self-promoting moral talk or social media posts.
One may sound familiar. The strategy of “It is far less important to identify grandstanding in others, than it is to know how to avoid it in ourselves.” sounds much like “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!” (Matthew 7:5)
August 17, 2020
Grandstanding is perhaps the most timely and orignal philosophy book I'ver read in a long time. The authors (Tosi and Warmke) argue that moral grandstanding is a serious moral problem insofar as it abuses "moral talk." By "grandstanding" they mean a performative act that uses moral talk for the sake of satisfying one's desire to be recognized as a morally serious person or a moral exemplar. By "moral talk" they refer to a form of communication, conceived as a public resource to be used to address serious moral problems, that involves appeals to justice, rights, virtues, attitudes of disgust, and outcomes. Amplified by the machinations of social media, grandstanding is evinced by (1) piling on (eg. Justine Sacco); (2) ramping up (increased levels of outrage that do not fit with the perceived transgression) ; (3) trumping up (the tendency to search for and identify moral problems where there are none); (4) excessive emotional displays or reports; and (5) claims of self‐evidence (isn't just obvious that X is evil and anyone who thinks otherwise is a moral monster?). While this sort of behavior has been identified as "virtue signaling" and often attributed to leftists, the authors eschew this label and carefully argue that "moral grandstanding" is a more fitting name (since it can include acts of domination through moral bullying) that applies just as much to people on the right. The behavior of Harvey Weinstein and Roy Moore are their paradigm examples.
Wisely, the authors counsel that we ought not address the problem of grandstanding by directly pointing it out in others; rather we should just ignore it and focus on whether we ourselves are engaging in it.
Curiously, however, they think it is hard to detect much like lying is hard to detect. It isn't always clear that someone is intending to grandstand and there is an aspect of social life in which we try to signal to others that we are good, trustworthy people that is morally innocent. Yet anyone who has spent any time on Twitter or Facebook knows that it is easy to spot. So how is it that it is easy to know moral grandstanding is happening on the whole, but not so easy to know on the individual level? Their answer to this puzzle appeals to the comparison with lying (we know its happening at some level or other, but it's harder to know in individual cases), which was not fully satisfying.
Although they did not set out to analyze social media, I think a missing piece of the puzzle is that sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or whatever else are designed to make users curate an online persona, validated by likes, loves, or whatever else indicates positive feedback, that has more to do with branding and public relations than it does with connecting authentically with others. It is almost as if, social media is designed for the purposes of grandstanding! Anyone who knows this (and I take it many people do) should know that individuals expressing their outrage on social media are, at least, at high risk of grandstanding. I say this as someone who has fallen prey to it many times. Could anyone disagree? If so, you should at least read this book to get a sense of the dynamics of one of the most important moral problems affecting our society today.
August 23, 2023
I haven’t read much that I would describe as “convicting” since I began deconstructing, but this fits the bill. Still chewing on a lot of it. I’d love to discuss with others who have read it!
March 18, 2023
Grandstanding is defined as "the action of behaving in a showy or ostentatious manner in an attempt to attract favorable attention from spectators or the media" and this book talked especially about moral grandstanding.
It was helpful and useful for me. At least I try to keep an eye on myself and try to avoid falling into moral grandstanding when talking to others.
It was helpful and useful for me. At least I try to keep an eye on myself and try to avoid falling into moral grandstanding when talking to others.
August 3, 2020
Commits the common mistake of going on slightly too long (though at 217 pages when excluding references, it's a quick read), but the first 2/3rds of this book are phenomenal and the back 1/3 is fine, just a bit of a rehash. Wonderfully posits an explanation for the seemingly bizarre behavior common to social media and political life and makes a stab at how to correct it.
January 3, 2023
قـد يـكـون بعض القراء مطلعين على شكل آخـر من الكلام غير المباشر ، ونعني به التواضع المصطنع ؛ أي التبجح المغلف بلغة متواضعة أو شاكية . «لـن يتيح لي أمازون أن أطلب أكثر من ثلاث نسخ من كتابي في كل مرة . أيضعون حداً على الكتب الأكثر مبيعـاً؟ يا له مـن أمر مزعـج !» ... « لماذا يختارني رئيسي لخدمة أهم العملاء؟»
يحاول المتواضع المتصنع التفاخر ، لكنه يحـاول أيضا تغليف مقصده الحقيقي بلغة تخلو من العجرفة . ويستخدم المستعرض اللغة غير المباشرة لأسباب مماثلة . فلماذا يستخدم لغة مواربة قد تفشل في إيصال الأمر الذي يريد أن يؤمـن بـه الآخـرون؟ لسـنـا نـدري إن كان للأمر تفسيرا واحدا . فقد تتطلب السياقات المختلفة كلاما غير مباشر لأسباب مختلفة . يشير ستـيفن بنكر ومارتن نواك ومارتن لي ، إلى تفسيرات عديدة ممكنة للكلام غير المباشـر تشـرح سبب انجذاب المستعرض إليه كثيراً . سنناقش أحدها فيما يلي .
إن أحـد الأسباب المحتملة التي تدعـو المستعرض إلى استخدام اللغـة غير المباشـرة عـائـد إلى كونهـا تتيح له الإنكار المقبـول . ثمة رفض اجتماعي عام للتفاخر على الملأ بصفاتك الأخلاقية الرائعة المزعومة . ومثلما سيكون تصريحك بامتلاكك أفضـل الإحساسات الذوقيـة أو الذائقة الموسيقية الأكثر ثقافة ، عملًا أخرق ، فليس مقبولاً اجتماعياً تصريحك بأن أخلاقك مثيرة للإعجاب . ولكـن مـا دام هـذا هـو بالضبط ما يود المستعرض إيصاله ، فإنه بحاجة إلى استغلال اللغة لقول ذلك بصورة غير مباشرة ، ودون الحاجة إلى الإعلان عن عظمته الأخلاقية ، فإنه يحتفظ بالإنكار المقبول . تخيّل أن يُتهم أحدهم بالاستعراض فيجيب : «أوه ، لم أكن أتحدث عني» . وما دام ثمة ثمـن اجتماعي لتعظيم الذات الواضح ، فإن المستعرض يمنح نفسه وسيلة لإنكار ما يزمع فعله . غير أن حقيقة استخدامه اللغة غير المباشرة تشير إلى معرفته غالبا بغباء ما يفعله .
.
Brandon Warmke
#Grandstanding
Translated By بثينة الإبراهيم
يحاول المتواضع المتصنع التفاخر ، لكنه يحـاول أيضا تغليف مقصده الحقيقي بلغة تخلو من العجرفة . ويستخدم المستعرض اللغة غير المباشرة لأسباب مماثلة . فلماذا يستخدم لغة مواربة قد تفشل في إيصال الأمر الذي يريد أن يؤمـن بـه الآخـرون؟ لسـنـا نـدري إن كان للأمر تفسيرا واحدا . فقد تتطلب السياقات المختلفة كلاما غير مباشر لأسباب مختلفة . يشير ستـيفن بنكر ومارتن نواك ومارتن لي ، إلى تفسيرات عديدة ممكنة للكلام غير المباشـر تشـرح سبب انجذاب المستعرض إليه كثيراً . سنناقش أحدها فيما يلي .
إن أحـد الأسباب المحتملة التي تدعـو المستعرض إلى استخدام اللغـة غير المباشـرة عـائـد إلى كونهـا تتيح له الإنكار المقبـول . ثمة رفض اجتماعي عام للتفاخر على الملأ بصفاتك الأخلاقية الرائعة المزعومة . ومثلما سيكون تصريحك بامتلاكك أفضـل الإحساسات الذوقيـة أو الذائقة الموسيقية الأكثر ثقافة ، عملًا أخرق ، فليس مقبولاً اجتماعياً تصريحك بأن أخلاقك مثيرة للإعجاب . ولكـن مـا دام هـذا هـو بالضبط ما يود المستعرض إيصاله ، فإنه بحاجة إلى استغلال اللغة لقول ذلك بصورة غير مباشرة ، ودون الحاجة إلى الإعلان عن عظمته الأخلاقية ، فإنه يحتفظ بالإنكار المقبول . تخيّل أن يُتهم أحدهم بالاستعراض فيجيب : «أوه ، لم أكن أتحدث عني» . وما دام ثمة ثمـن اجتماعي لتعظيم الذات الواضح ، فإن المستعرض يمنح نفسه وسيلة لإنكار ما يزمع فعله . غير أن حقيقة استخدامه اللغة غير المباشرة تشير إلى معرفته غالبا بغباء ما يفعله .
.
Brandon Warmke
#Grandstanding
Translated By بثينة الإبراهيم
January 21, 2021
This book was rather good and enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised to see that such a potentially common topic was treated in an academic and philosophical manner.
I liked that it made the point that moral language is useful, and part of the reason to avoid grandstanding is to preserve the utility of moral language for true offenses. I've been disheartened to see people on all sides (although probably I'm seeing it more on the left - speaking as a liberal) react in disproportionate ways to minor errors of those who don't fully meet the woke criteria.
This book was smart in that it spoke of there being some usefulness to moral language and outrage, but that we overuse them at our peril. This book was also great in that it highlighted how grandstanding can feed our process of polarization in politics, a narrative that was all too plausible. As we ramp up the grandstanding to one-up our in group or as we trump up offenses on the other side it seems utterly likely that this will feed polarization within and between groups.
Personally, this is one of two books I've read recently that's made me realize it's probably pointless to make strong moral claims on social media. Even when they're right. The risk of grandstanding and just turning off people is too high. I'm going to be more mindful of when I'm engaging in a way that's really grandstanding, even if I may not have previously been fully aware.
I liked that it made the point that moral language is useful, and part of the reason to avoid grandstanding is to preserve the utility of moral language for true offenses. I've been disheartened to see people on all sides (although probably I'm seeing it more on the left - speaking as a liberal) react in disproportionate ways to minor errors of those who don't fully meet the woke criteria.
This book was smart in that it spoke of there being some usefulness to moral language and outrage, but that we overuse them at our peril. This book was also great in that it highlighted how grandstanding can feed our process of polarization in politics, a narrative that was all too plausible. As we ramp up the grandstanding to one-up our in group or as we trump up offenses on the other side it seems utterly likely that this will feed polarization within and between groups.
Personally, this is one of two books I've read recently that's made me realize it's probably pointless to make strong moral claims on social media. Even when they're right. The risk of grandstanding and just turning off people is too high. I'm going to be more mindful of when I'm engaging in a way that's really grandstanding, even if I may not have previously been fully aware.
September 12, 2020
An important book addressing a relevant issue in this day and age of social media. While I didn't agree with everything the authors put forth and I doubt I share their political views, there was much to consider in this decent offering of the subject. I learned a lot and think it would be beneficial, especially to Christians in the public eye.
December 8, 2020
Tosi and Warmkey provide a compelling, well-argued case for the importance of moral talk and why we need to protect it, and how grandstanding damages political discourse and moral talk. Their argument was presented thoroughly and defensively, responding to anticipated rebuttals and clearly detailing the thesis they were advocating.
July 15, 2022
فكرة واضحة ومبسطة ومهمة جدا ويمكن اختصارها في مقال
وليس كتاب كامل
حاول ان تجد تلخيصا للكتاب لكي لا تضيع الوقت.
الامثلة ايضا مرتبطة جدا بالمجتمع الامريكي ولكن الخطاب العام للكتاب عام فعلا ومفيد لاي مجتمع.
وليس كتاب كامل
حاول ان تجد تلخيصا للكتاب لكي لا تضيع الوقت.
الامثلة ايضا مرتبطة جدا بالمجتمع الامريكي ولكن الخطاب العام للكتاب عام فعلا ومفيد لاي مجتمع.
February 17, 2021
I'm glad I picked this book up. Highly recommend it.
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