Hell is other people: The conception of the other in self–help’s ethics

Abstract

"Self-help" literature has become one of the most significant cultural manifestations of the last 90 years in Argentina. It has established a new way of conceiving the self. In this article we trace the conception of "the other" that can be found in these books, and the consequences that this has for the social world. We find that self-help literature sets up "the other" as a hindrance or as an aid, to self- realization. That diminishes the importance that other people have for the constitution of one's personal identity.