Why we should care about respect

Respect is a concept that is often used in political and social discourse, but is rarely adequately conceptualised. In this article it is argued that there are three very good reasons for caring about respect. First, self-respect is an integral part of our image of our self. Second, 'social respect' mediates our social interactions. Judgments of our merits and status are part of the everyday interactions that we engage in. Respect matters because it represents a way in which we are taken seriously by others. And, third, respect matters because it links to social justice. In this sense, there is a radical dimension to the concept of respect that has often been overlooked by radical theorists who have been over-enthusiastic in endorsing a view of morality as based in bourgeois liberalism. The article argues for a radical politics of respect that embraces liberal ideals and pushes them to their radical conclusions.     

保加利亚人的『面包情』

我在中国驻捷克大使馆工作期间,有一次在外交活动中,保加利亚大使向我说:"保加利亚人民对面包有特殊感情,他们一天都不能离开面包."我不以为然,心想:面包对其他国家的人民来说,是大众化食品,保加利亚的人民对吃面包有何不同?