The Virtue of Humility: Understanding its Value and Significance in Human Philosophy

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[...] Such an attitude, far from being a virtue, can imprison the individual in powerlessness and passivity. Spinoza himself criticized excessive humility in his work Ethics (published in 1677), for him "humility is a feeling of sadness that comes from contemplating one's impotence and weakness" and this humility would not allow access to inner peace since, according to him, "inner peace is a feeling of joy that comes from contemplating one's being and one's power to act". Thus, being humble cannot simply mean lowering oneself or refusing any affirmation of oneself, as this would lead to a harmful devaluation of existence. [...]

[...] Augustine thus affirmed that "humility is the foundation of all virtues", because it allows one to turn away from pride which leads man to believe he is self-sufficient. The proud man turns away from God, he wants to be his own principle, while the humble man recognizes his dependence and accepts receiving his abilities from another, a higher power. From this point of view, being humble means submitting to a higher truth and not trying to elevate oneself above what one is. [...]

[...] We can even go further and observe that, in certain social situations, this imposed humility becomes an instrument of control: it discourages initiative and reinforces dependency relationships. In The Male Domination, The sociologist Pierre Bourdieu analyzes how social relationships reproduce hierarchies and forms of symbolic domination. Imposed humility can be seen as a "symbolic condition" that perpetuates dependence and prevents certain groups from claiming their power or initiative, particularly in certain patriarchal societies." This point of view allows us to understand that there is a form of pathological humility, which is harmful, that translates to a complete erasure of the individual and the recognition of their personal value. [...]

[...] To be humble, it is then to admit one's limits, to refuse vanity, and to open oneself to learning. This conception highlights a first sense: humility as an antidote (or as 'counterpoison' according to Voltaire) to pride and as a condition of knowledge. However, humility can also be perceived as a weakness, or even as a strategy of domination. This is first of all according to some a way to subjugate the humble by placing them under the control of their lack of confidence in themselves. [...]

[...] It can designate the refusal of pride, as with Socrates or Augustine, and constitute the condition of an authentic relationship to the truth. It can also, in a critical perspective, be understood as a weakening of oneself and as a constraining morality that stifles the vital impulse, as Nietzsche has shown. But it can finally be thought of as a positive virtue, based on lucidity and openness, which allows man to free himself from illusion and live with greater justice and better social conditions. [...]