Kristján Kristjánsson has done it again. Perhaps today's leading writer on virtue, he has written a ground-breaking study of polite civility understood in terms of the kindly virtues. In addition to considerateness, intellectual humility, and modesty, the book also discusses important questions surrounding kindness, practical wisdom, and relativism. Highly recommended! -- Christian B. Miller, Wake Forest University, USA In this wonderfully accessible discussion of kindly virtues, Kristjánsson tells the story of an important set of everyday virtues in a lucid way. His aim, as always, is at truth, not at purity or simplicity. -- Blaine J. Fowers, University of Miami, USA This remarkably learned treatise identifies a subset of moral virtues marked by kindness and intelligent caring for others in small-scale personal encounters. Kristjánssons engaging, scholarly analysis of the kindly virtues opens up exciting new lines of scholarship within moral psychology, and is destined to be a classic in the field. -- Daniel Lapsley, University of Notre Dame, USA Kristjánsson proposes a new set of virtues kindness-motivated, etiquette-governed Aristotelian virtues. Then he works his usual magic. He offers examples (considerateness, intellectual humility, and modesty), nicely summarizes and beautifully organizes the current discussion within both philosophy and psychology. Kristjánsson then lists the problems, and sketches some creative and tempting solutions. -- Howard J. Curzer, Texas Tech University, USA Rejecting the distinction between manners and morals, Kristjansson invites us to consider the kindly virtues: kindness, considerateness, intellectual humility, and modesty. Included also is a chapter on when it is virtuous to be unkindly. Drawing on sources from philosophy, psychology, and art, the book sheds light on virtues of tremendous importance in our polarized age. -- Nancy E. Snow, The University of Kansas, USA
