The Beam and the Mote

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye says the Bible. In other words: there is something problematic about one person blaming another, when the blamer's faults are even greater. Such blaming is hypocritical and, typically, we see ourselves as entitled to dismiss hypocritical blame. This is so, paradoxically, even when in fact we are blameworthy for that which we are being blamed hypocritically. This book explores the concept and ethics of hypocritical blame, and its wider ramifications, from a philosophical perspective.