Definition
Asshole is a vulgar slang term for a contemptible, obnoxious, or mean-spirited person — but it has also become a subject of serious philosophical and academic inquiry. In 2012, philosopher Aaron James published Assholes: A Theory, a semi-satirical but rigorous philosophical work that attempts to define the asshole as a distinct moral category. According to James, an asshole is someone who systematically allows himself to enjoy special advantages in cooperative life out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that immunizes him against the complaints of other people. Unlike the “jerk” (who is temporarily unpleasant) or the “psychopath” (who lacks moral feeling), the asshole is fully aware of social norms and deliberately chooses to violate them, believing that he is entitled to do so. The asshole is not just rude. He is unjustifiably rude. He cuts in line because he believes his time is more valuable. He talks over people because he believes his thoughts are more important. He takes credit because he believes he deserves it. The asshole is a moral philosopher’s nightmare: a person who understands the rules and refuses to play by them, not out of ignorance or pathology, but out of principle — a principle of self-aggrandizement.
Why It Matters
Asshole is the internet’s favorite word. It is used millions of times per day across Twitter, Reddit, comment sections, and Discord servers. It is the universal insult, the default descriptor, the word that everyone understands. But “asshole” also matters because Aaron James’ theory gave it intellectual respectability. The book became a bestseller, spawned a sequel (Assholes: A Theory of Donald Trump), and created a framework for understanding the specific type of unpleasant person that dominates internet culture: the entitled, the troll, the reply-guy, the influencer who cannot handle criticism. The internet is full of assholes. But more importantly, the internet is a machine for identifying and amplifying them. Social media rewards asshole behavior: the louder, the more confident, the more dismissive, the more engagement. The internet did not create the asshole. The internet created the asshole economy. And Aaron James’ theory is the map of that economy. The term also matters because it is one of the few insults that is genuinely democratic: everyone knows an asshole. Everyone has been an asshole. And everyone can identify one. The asshole is not a mystery. The asshole is a diagnosis. And the internet is the world’s largest diagnostic center.
Example
“He met an asshole at a party. The asshole talked about himself. For an hour. He interrupted. He dismissed. He name-dropped. He was not interesting. He was not funny. He was an asshole. He read Aaron James’ book. He learned the definition. The asshole has a sense of entitlement. The asshole is immune to complaints. The asshole is not ignorant. The asshole is strategic. He looked at the asshole from the party. The asshole was strategic. The asshole was winning. The asshole was everywhere. The asshole was the internet. The internet was the asshole. And the theory was the only thing that made sense.”
Related Terms
- Aaron James — The philosopher who developed the academic theory of the asshole
- Entitlement — The core characteristic that defines the asshole in James’ theory
- Jerk — The related but less systematic unpleasant person, distinct from the asshole
- Troll — The internet-specific variant of the asshole, who provokes for amusement
- Narcissism — The personality trait that overlaps significantly with asshole behavior