On Contempt

Examines the concept of contempt: the expression, not of hatred, but of scorn, and the unwillingness to see in the life of another anything that demands recognition, compassion or respect. It is, this book argues, the quintessential emotion of our times.

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Contempt is the expression, not of hatred, but of scorn. And the unwillingness to see in the life of another anything that demands recognition, compassion or respect.

Politically, its effects can be seen across race relations, inequality, housing, refugee policy, criminal justice, satire, pornography and the media.

Contempt has a corrosive effect on those who indulge in it, and on those who suffer from it. It is the quintessential emotion of our times.