Shame, Vulnerability, and Change

Journal of the American Philosophical Association 8 (2):373-390 (2022)
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Abstract

Shame is frequently viewed as a destructive emotion; but it can also be understood in terms of change and growth. This essay highlights the problematic values that cause pervasive and frequent shame and the importance of resisting and changing these values. Using Confucian insights, I situate shame in an interactive process between the individual's values and that of their society, thus, being vulnerable to shame represents both one's connection to a community and an openness to others’ negative feedback. This process provides an important arena where personal values interact with communal ones. The Confucian tradition, I argue, affords individuals a degree of autonomy in internalization through urging them to cultivate and maintain a keen sense of shame. My discussion also offers resources for understanding the various aspects of this interactive process—how individuals with similar experiences of shame may, through channeling their experiences, influence social values and propel moral progress.

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Jing Iris Hu
Concordia University

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References found in this work

An apology for moral shame.Chesire Calhoun - 2004 - Journal of Political Philosophy 12 (2):127–146.
Pride Shame and Guilt.Gabriele Taylor - 1989 - Noûs 23 (2):253-254.
Shame, Violence, and Morality.Krista K. Thomason - 2014 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 91 (1):1-24.

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