Karen Stohr, “On Manners” (Routledge, 2011)
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What is the central thesis of Karen Storr’s book *On Manners*?
Hello everyone and welcome to the New Books and Philosophy channel of the New Books Network. My name is Robert Talise and I am co host of the channel along with Carrie Figner. In our bi monthly podcast, we talk with philosophers about their newly published books. Today I'll be talking with Professor Karen Storr about her new book On Manners, which was published this year with Routledge. Karen Storr is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University. We rarely stop to notice that our everyday social interactions From standing in line at the coffee shop to answering the phone. are governed by highly complex systems of rules. These rules are simply taken for granted. And when we regard them at all.
We typically see them merely as instruments for social coordination. We stand on line at the coffee shop and wait our turn. And this rule does indeed help to maintain a civil social order. By coordinating the behavior of many individuals who might otherwise clash. Yet when others flout the rules Say when someone cuts a long line that we have been waiting at We feel not only that cooperation has broken down We also tend to feel that in cutting the line the The cutter wronged us in some way. And so it goes for many of the rules pertaining to etiquette and manners. They have moral content. But we must ask. What is the source and nature of the moral content of etiquette? How do line cutters wrong those who are waiting patiently?
Moreover, it should be noted that That the line cutting example references only one among many rules of etiquette. Indeed, it may seem that the rules governing the Standing in line. Are among the more obvious and simple cases. What can be said about rules involving gift exchanges? Civility among neighbors. Privacy. and telling white lies. When it comes to etiquette and matters, things get complicated very quickly. So let's turn to the interview. Hello Karen Storr.
Hello.
Thank you for joining us this morning. You doing okay?
I am. It's a pleasure to be here.
Well great. Today on New Books in Philosophy, I'll be talking with Karen Storr about her new book, On Manners. Published this year by Routledge. This is a book in Routledge's n thinking in action series. A series featuring books That try to bring philosophical reflection to topics that more often lie at the periphery of academic philosophy. And Professor Storr's book fits this description very nicely and is quite successful, I should say. Um Her main thesis, and Karen uh you'll have the opportunity to correct me uh if you think I'm getting this wrong, um, is that rules of etiquette and norms of good manners Um uh that we accept every day. uh and in our everyday interactions with others. um are not simply instruments for coordinating social behavior.
Um rather, according to Stor They are expressions of deep moral principles. Um this is a fascinating book. Um But uh before we get to discussing some of the uh the details, Karen Uh please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to this project.
Yes. Well um Like many philosophers, I was kind of a late comer to philosophy. I was always pretty practically oriented. I had planned for many years to go to law school and was a government major in college, and I picked up philosophy kind of on the side. And then I had this sort of revelation of my senior year in college. I realized I didn't want to be a lawyer, that in fact I actually like philosophy much better. Since I was pretty good at it, I thought maybe I would try going to grad school. I had always been interested in ethics within government and within philosophy, but I hadn't really settled on that is my main line of philosophical interest. Until part way through graduate school. But I had also had a long-standing interest in manners.
I had been a fan of Jane Austen novels since I was a teenager and also was an enormous fan of etiquette writers like Judith Martin or Miss Manners. Um and in fact my backup career plan in graduate school, you know, in those days when you're wondering whether you're ever gonna get a job in philosophy and what else can I do with this?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the central thesis of Karen Storr’s book *On Manners*?
0:03–7:11
2
How does Storr argue that etiquette rules express deeper moral principles?
7:11–15:20
3
Why do line‑cutting incidents feel morally wrong, not just socially rude?
15:20–24:21
4
What distinction does Storr draw between “principles of manners” and “rules of etiquette”?
24:21–31:27
5
How does Kant’s categorical imperative explain the wrongness of cutting in line?
31:27–40:31
6
In what ways do modern pop‑culture examples (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) illustrate moral dilemmas in etiquette?
40:31–49:20
7
How have historical etiquette manuals (Emily Post, Judith Martin) functioned as moral expertise?
49:20–58:04
8
What impact do digital technologies and social media have on contemporary manners and moral concerns?
58:04–1:06:07
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