The Moral Psychology of Guilt

(Hardback)

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In most Western societies, guilt is widely regarded as a vital moral emotion. In addition to playing a central role in moral development and progress, many take the capacity to feel guilt as a defining feature of morality itself: no truly moral person escapes the pang of guilt when she has done something wrong. But proponents of guilt's importance face important challenges, such as distinguishing healthy from pathological forms of guilt, and accounting for the fact that not all cultures value guilt in the same way, if at all. In this volume, philosophers and psychologists come together to think more systematically about the nature and value of guilt. The book begins with chapters on the biological origins and psychological nature of guilt and moves on to discuss the culturally enriched conceptions of guilt and its value that we find in various eastern and western philosophic traditions. In addition, numerous chapters discuss healthy or morally valuable forms guilt and their pathological or irrational shadows.

Reviews

This is a valuable volume that should interest philosophers and psychologists working at the intersection of their two fields. -- Michael Slote, Professor of Philosophy, University of Miami
The editors of this fine volume have put together and introduced a superb group of philosophers and psychologists who offer careful and revealing descriptions and analyses of the nature, function, and value of guilt. It contains excellent discussions about how best to conceptualize guilt that are not only philosophically revealing, but also practically helpful for psychological researchfor example, whether guilt is an emotion or a feeling, and whether one feels guilty about the harm one may have done or about being the agent of such harm. These and other issues are treated with great care and insight throughout, often with an eye to greater theoretical accuracy and precision as well as the potential for practical and experimental improvement. -- Philip J Ivanhoe, Distinguished Chair Professor, College of Confucian Studies and Eastern Philosophy, Sungkyunkwan University

Author Bio

Bradford Cokelet is Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kansas Corey J. Maley (PhD) is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kansas