Guilt, Moral Anxiety, and Moral Staining
Guilt, Moral Anxiety, and Moral Staining

Author: Andrew Tice Ingram

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 90

ISBN-13:

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This is a work of moral psychology in the course of which is presented a theory on the nature of guilt. The point of departure is a psychological phenomenon that I call "scrupulousness." Scrupulousness is present when someone is in doubt about the morality of a minor past action. He or she is obsessively driven to determine whether his act was right or wrong. The result for the individual is vexing preoccupation in a cycle of internal casuistry. I explain this unhappy phenomenon as the result of anxiety over guilt understood as moral staining. A moral stain is a persistent residue adhering to the self created by a past wrongful action. To better explain moral stains, I borrow Christine Korsgaard's theory of personal identity as constituted by one's choices. With the aid of Korsgaard's theory, I then consider how a belief in guilt as moral staining accounts for the worry of the scrupulous person. The Postscript of the Report first considers whether scrupulousness is justified by the explanation I have furnished. I answer this question in the negative. I also consider how anticipation of scrupulous worry could drive a person away from morally ambiguous situations, sometimes preventing him from taking the correct course of action in a form of "moral cowardice." The Postscript secondly explains the significance of investigating scrupulousness and moral staining for philosophers. I argue that moral staining captures important aspects of the phenomenology of guilt and that it correctly accounts for the reality of guilt as more than a mere psychological state or feeling. To exhibit these strengths of the moral staining view, I compare and criticize Herbert Morris' prominent model of guilt as consisting in the severance of valued relationships.

The Moral Psychology of Guilt
The Moral Psychology of Guilt

Author: Bradford Cokelet

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-10-10

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 1786609665

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Philosophers and psychologists come together to think systematically about the nature and value of guilt, looking at the biological origins and psychological nature of guilt, and then discussing the culturally enriched conceptions of this vital moral emotion.

Guilt, Practical Identity, and Moral Staining
Guilt, Practical Identity, and Moral Staining

Author: Andrew Ingram

Publisher:

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 29

ISBN-13:

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The guilt left by immoral actions is why moral duties are more pressing and serious than other reasons like prudential considerations. Religions talk of sin and karma; the secular still speak of spots or stains. I argue that a moral staining view of guilt is in fact the best model. It accounts for guilt's reflexive character and for anxious, scrupulous worries about whether one has transgressed. To understand moral staining, I borrow Christine Korsgaard's view that we construct our identities as agents through our actions. The contribution of immoral actions to self-constitution explains why moral obligations have priority and importance.

Practical Guilt
Practical Guilt

Author: Patricia S. Greenspan

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 259

ISBN-13: 019509090X

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The author uses the treatment of moral dilemmas as the basis for an alternative view of the structure of ethics and its relation to human psychology. In its treatment of the role of emotion in ethics the argument of the book outlines a new way of packing motivational force into moral meaning that allows for a socially based version of moral realism.

Guilt
Guilt

Author: John G. McKenzie

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-06-10

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1317195965

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It is acknowledged by most students of human behaviour that the idea of guilt is closely connected with that of man’s freedom and responsibility. It is a theme of law-court and pulpit, a concern of psychoanalysis and probation officers, a growing pre-occupation of the novelist. Our era has even been described as a ‘guilt-consciousness age’. It comes as a surprise, therefore, to discover that there are so few modern books in which the meaning of guilt is thoroughly explored. In the present volume, originally published in 1962, Dr J.G. McKenzie makes an admirable attempt to fill the gap. He begins by describing and analysing the various senses in which the word ‘guilt’ is used and by making a number of important distinctions. There follows a close psychological study of the origin and development of guilty feelings which is illumined by Dr McKenzie’s interpretation of ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ conscience. The author then turns to the legal, ethical and religious concepts of guilt and examines each with care and insight, always raising and facing the deepest issues for both theory and practice. In the concluding section of the book he deals with the question ‘How can the sense of guilt be dissipated?’ Against the backdrop of depth-psychology and theology he offers a penetrating and provocative understanding of divine forgiveness which plumbs the deeps both of man’s sin and of God’s love. Dr McKenzie writes out of a long lifetime of teaching and of clinical work in psychotherapy. The range of his reading and interests is extraordinarily wide. Through all his writing there shines not only his profound concern for people but his lively and indeed infectious conviction that man is still in the making and that his one true Maker is God.

A Moral Perspective on Guilt Appeals
A Moral Perspective on Guilt Appeals

Author: Qijia Ye

Publisher:

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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As a moral emotion, guilt can serve as a mechanism in social influence. However, literature showed that the effects of guilt appeals were mixed. This indicates that scholars scarcely understand the conditions under which guilt appeals work effectively. Drawing from Moral Foundation Theory (Graham et al., 2013), this study investigated the moderating role of moral foundations in guilt appeals. I argued that the match between the transgression focus of a guilt appeal and an endorsed moral foundation would increase the intensity of perceived guilt and reduce psychological reactance, thereby leading to a more positive attitude and stronger behavioral intention. A single factorial (care/harm guilt appeal vs. purity/degradation guilt appeal vs. liberty/oppression guilt appeal vs. control message) between-subject experiment was conducted to test the moral matching effect in the context of reducing children's consumption of sugary drinks. Results showed that care-focused guilt appeal elicited more guilt and less psychological reactance than purity-focused and liberty-focused guilt appeals. More importantly, the purity foundation mitigated the negative effect of purity-focused guilt appeal on psychological reactance, particularly on anger. The explanations for the findings, theoretical and practical implications, limitations of the study, and future research directions were discussed.