Writing on A la recherche du temps perdu has tended to celebrate the wonders of the moi sensible uncritically. This overlooks the rigour with which Proust tries to understand exactly why explaining one's own actions is so difficult. Can we decide, he asks, whether justifying oneself should be written off as morally repugnant, or taken seriously as evidence of moral probity? Proustian Passions examines the case for taking self-justification seriously...