Moral Psychology of Confucian

Early Confucian philosophers (notably Confucius and Mencius) emphasized moral significance of shame in self-cultivation and learning. In their discussion, shame is not just a painful sense of moral failure or transgression but also a moral disposition and a form of moral excellence (i.e., virtue) that is essential to Confucian self-cultivation.

In Moral Psychology of Confucian Shame, Bongrae Seok argues that shame is a genuine moral emotion and moral disposition.
Engaging with recent studies of social psychology, cultural psychology, biology, and anthropology, Seok explains that shame is a uniquely evolved form of moral emotion that is comparable to, but not identical with, guilt. The author goes on to develop an interpretation of Confucian shame that reveals the embodied, interactive, and transformative nature of the Confucian moral self.

List of contents

Part I: Shame and Morality / 1. Unashamed Introduction to Shame / Part II: Psychology of Shame / 2. Unity and Diversity of Shame / 3. Social and Moral Evolution of Shame / Part III: Confucian Shame / 4. Confucian Shame and Moral Excellence / 5. Confucian Shame and the Moral Self / Bibliography / Index

About the author

Bongrae Seok is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Alvernia University.

Summary

This book offers an analysis of shame (as a state, disposition, activity, and social relation) and develops an interdisciplinary and comparative interpretation of Confucian shame as a moral disposition, the ability of critical moral-development and self-cultivation.

Product details

• Authors: Bongrae Seok
• Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2017
• EAN: 9781783485178
• ISBN: 978-1-78348-517-8
• Series: Critical Inquiries in Comparative Philosophy; Critical Inquiries in Comparat; Critical Inquiries in Comparat; Critical Inquiries in Comparative Philosophy
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > General, dictionaries; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Other world religions; China, PHILOSOPHY / Ethics & Moral Philosophy, PHILOSOPHY / Eastern, Ethics & moral philosophy, Ethics and moral philosophy, East Asian and Indian philosophy, Oriental & Indian philosophy