A hero’s wounded pride proved the genesis for one of the most beautiful poems ever; an angel’s hubris led to his fall; and the immoderate pride of a man led to his expulsion from Earthly Paradise and the sale of his soul to the Devil. Pride and hubris play a central role in many myths. This essay deals with the history of these emotions and examines their relevance in the contemporary world. It includes stories, literary creations and philosophical analysis, both ancient and modern, to demonstrate the continuity and transformation of these emotions and their role in human life across time.

The history and philosophy of pride are marked by a peculiar duality, reflected in the different shades of meanings in various languages, which give it a special place in human emotional geography: pride is both an emotion or feeling (you can be or feel proud) and a character trait (you can be a proud man or woman). Being proud of someone or something which deserves it is a very agreeable and noble feeling. Being a proud, hubristic, arrogant or vain person is very unattractive. And the sin of pride or hubris is the worst of all. These simple distinctions form part of everyday language.

Chapter 1 is introductory. The first section deals with this basic duality of pride and hubris, emotion and character. I make use of the distinctions and shades of meaning found in ordinary language, by way of a preliminary conceptual guide to which I will refer throughout the book. In the second section, I briefly present the specific point of view I have adopted in this essay which distinguishes it from others with a similar subject-matter. To do so, I briefly review the basic theses of some recent monographs dedicated to pride. In the third section, I present a general overview of the subjects tackled in the historical and philosophic parts of the essay, which are complementary.

For the first part, I have chosen historical events and real and mythological characters I consider particularly relevant. As can easily be imagined, Ancient Greece and Judaeo-Christian religion are at the core of the history of pride. The history of emotions is interesting in itself, but it also allows us to get to know and understand contemporary emotions better. These emotions appear natural, but if we stop and analyse them a little, we can see that they contain within them the rich substratum of their history. The second part has a more analytical approach. I focus on the collective dimension of pride and its relation to equality, identity and difference. The philosophical analysis leads me to the phenomenology of pride, which is only possible in the light of history and preceding analysis. Finally, I allow myself some speculation about the future of pride.

In the bibliography, I note the editions and translations used of classical works. On a few occasions when I have been able to, I have made a slight adjustment to the translation of a passage. Whenever possible, I cite paragraphs and sections which are valid across all the editions. When this is not the case, I cite the page numbers preceded by a colon. I feel quotes and references are expressions of gratitude rather than justice and I have tried not to infringe either. I apologise in advance for any errors I may have made.

I would like to give my warm thanks to Professor Ramón Rodríguez for the invitation to write this book and for his wise counsel throughout the writing process. The essay is also a result of my participation in the Institute of Religious Studies at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, an intellectually stimulating and convivial environment. This Institute has generously funded the English translation of this book. I am very grateful to the Institute and to its Director, Professor Juan Antonio Álvarez-Pedrosa. I am also grateful to S.P. Brykczynski, who put great care into the translation, and to Steve Crook, the reviewer. I also warmly thank Brill and Professor Stella Villarmea, the Series Editor, for hosting this publication, and Erika Mandarino and Helena Schöb, Editors for Philosophy at Brill, for competently conducting the process. Quotations have been generally taken from the editions listed in the bibliography, but the translator has made some adjustments to adapt them to the book’s vocabulary. In the case of originally Spanish quotes, translations are due to the translator of this book. Nevertheless, we list available translations for the sake of reference.

I drafted some of the chapters during a sabbatical period which included a research stay at Oxford University in the spring of 2017. I would like to express my thanks to the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford University, and above all to my own: the Faculty of Philosophy at Universidad Complutense.

I am very grateful to some of the people who have read and commented on parts of the book. Ramón Rodríguez did not allow me to consider it finished before its time, when there were still some important elements of conceptual analysis missing. Ramón Ortega pointed out the same deficiency. Sonia Rodríguez made innumerable corrections of form and content, above all with respect to the transitions between sections. Ignacio Cabello helped me straighten out some of the comments on Job. David Teira pointed to an essential aspect of the relation between pride and comparisons. Roberto R. Aramayo helped with the book’s title. Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht, Julián Santos, Isabel Zarza, Javier Calvo, Ricardo Gutiérrez and Lola Zarza provided relevant comments. Sonia, Ignacio, Mikel Gorriti and Pilar Fernández Beites have written nice reviews of the Spanish original. Jorge Bartolomé and Marshall Weiss have given editorial help, supported by research project pid2020-115142ga-I00 (Spanish Government), led by Alba Jiménez.

All the observations of friends and colleagues have been of great use to me, although unfortunately I have not been able to acknowledge all of them. I would like to thank the staff at the faculty library for their help, in particular to Miguel Ángel Rivera and Mercedes Rosales. Finally, I would like to express my profound intellectual and personal gratitude to two great professors and to honour their memory. I had the privilege to be first their student and later their colleague. In appearance, Ángel d’Ors and Quintín Racionero were very different; but inside, each had a very large and warm heart.