Humility and Moral Failure

Kamila Pacovskà

Please note that the colloquium will start at 15:40; the talk will last around 45 min.

Humility is a moral virtue that has been studied predominantly in non-moral contexts. In this talk, I argue that humility also plays an important role in the moral domain. More specifically, I explore its significance in cases of moral wrongdoing in which the wrongdoer initially resists repentance. I suggest that coming to repent requires a transformation towards humility. Drawing on the story of Kostelnička in Janáček’s opera Jenůfa, I show how the vice of pride distorts the wrongdoer’s deliberation prior to the wrongful act and subsequently fuels resistance to acknowledging one’s own blame. As the story unfolds, I identify two stages in the process of repentance: self-destructive guilt and humble remorse. Kostelnička reaches the latter only after a transformative encounter with her victim. I argue that this humbling experience makes it possible for her to acknowledge her wrongdoing and begin to come to terms with her crime.