Self-Esteem: On the Form of Self-Worth Worth Having

Self-esteem is traditionally regarded as an important human good. But it has suffered a number of injuries to its good name. Critics allege that endeavours to promote self-esteem merely foster narcissism or entitlement, and urge that we redirect our efforts elsewhere. I argue that such criticisms are symptomatic of a normative decline in how we think and theorize about self-esteem rather than a defect in the construct itself. After exposing the shortcomings of alternative proposals, I develop an account of self-esteem that reflects what its supporters have in mind: a valuable form of self-appraisal worth fostering in others and ourselves.