Moral Psychology of Shame in Early Confucian Philosophy

Seok, Bongrae

doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4000-9_11

Cited by 8 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 53 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Maladaptive self-criticism is related to shame and has been linked to self-damning and self-undermining (Gilbert & Irons, 2008). In contrast to this, shame has moral significance in the Confucian philosophy (Seok, 2015) which stresses the facilitating effect of shame on self-reflection to achieve growth or self-criticism in order to improve oneself, e.g. "Be aware of shame then go forward" ("知耻而后勇", Mencius, 372BC-289BC).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-compassion in Chinese Young Adults: Specific Features of the Construct from a Cultural Perspective

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives Recent research has suggested that Chinese individuals from a collectivist culture may have a different understanding of self-compassion, which could differentially contribute to mental health. This study aimed to obtain an in-depth insight into Chinese adults’ understanding of self-compassion. Methods Four online focus groups in Chinese undergraduates discussed the construct of self-compassion based on self-kindness, self-judgment, common humanity, isolation, mindfulness, and over-identification. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Chinese participants valued benign self-criticism and self-reflection when contemplating their understanding of self-compassion. Similarly, participants’ view of self-compassion dimensions can be described as dialectical in that they reflected both negative and positive perceptions in each factor rather than suggesting separate and purely negative or purely positive dimensions. There was also an overlap in the interpretation of the negative dimensions (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification). Conclusions The findings highlight particularities in the understanding of self-compassion in these Chinese students, which may be influenced by philosophical traditions promoting dialecticism and the dual focus on the transformation of the self and social participation. This suggests the importance of a cultural perspective when studying self-compassion and interpreting relevant research findings.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-compassion in Chinese Young Adults: Specific Features of the Construct from a Cultural Perspective

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition to general differences in the valuation of negative and positive emotions, there are also cultural differences in beliefs about the instrumental value of negative emotions for task performance. According to Confucian teachings, which are deeply embedded in East Asian cultures, emotions are good and of the “right kind” to the extent that they promote specific Confucian values such as the improvement of the self and the expression of concern for others (Seok, 2017; Sundararajan, 2005). Thus, East Asians may value negative emotions more than Americans particularly when those emotions are experienced in contexts that involve self-improvement.…”

Section: Culture and Valuation Of Negative Emotionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Valuation of emotion underlies cultural variation in cardiovascular stress responses.

Yoo¹,

Martin²,

Niedenthal³

et al. 2022

Emotion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cultural context shapes individuals’ valuation of emotions. Although studies have documented cultural differences in beliefs about the utility of negative emotions, little is known about how such cultural valuation is associated with physiological stress responses. In the present work, we examined whether East Asians and European Americans differ in how they value nervousness in a demanding situation and whether such valuation predicts acute cardiovascular responses. We found that East Asians were more likely than European Americans to believe feeling nervous in a demanding situation was useful. Furthermore, greater valuation of negative emotion predicted attenuated cardiovascular responses to a laboratory mental stressor and partially mediated the relationship between culture and cardiovascular stress responses. The present results highlight the importance of valuation of emotions as a psychological mechanism underlying cultural as well as individual differences in stress-evoked cardiovascular responses. We discuss one implication for this line of research, unpacking how cross-cultural differences in valuation of negative emotions may lead to cultural variation in physiological patterns related to health outcomes.

show abstract

“…In the early Confucian texts, there exists a rich philosophical literature on shame and the benefit of cultivating a sense of shame for the purpose of ensuring the relative security and liberty of the individual in an ethical system centered on reflective emotions, including shame and guilt. Some note that the Confucian shame vocabulary is a system of reflective emotions in which guilt is an integral part (among them Seok 2017; Zhao 2018; Shun 1997; Cua 2003). For example, the characters can and kui , which are frequently translated into guilt are frequently used in conjunction with shame.…”

Section: Confucian Shamementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Shame is frequently viewed as a destructive emotion that leaves lasting scars; a sickness of the soul that has no place in the discourse of morality (Nussbaum 2004; Tomkins 1963: 118; Gilbert 2003: 1225; Lamb 1983; Kekes 1988). Yet it is also an important emotion that is integral to an individual's moral identity and intrinsic to our understanding of the social practice of morality (Williams 1993; Seok 2017; Calhoun 2004; Maibom 2010; Thomason 2018; Zhao 2018). This essay reconciles this contradiction by demonstrating the dynamic relationship between the self and the community in the social practice of shame.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Shame, Vulnerability, and Change

Hu¹

2021

J. of the Am. Philos. Assoc.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

Moral Psychology of Shame in Early Confucian Philosophy

Cited by 8 publications

References 53 publications

Self-compassion in Chinese Young Adults: Specific Features of the Construct from a Cultural Perspective

Self-compassion in Chinese Young Adults: Specific Features of the Construct from a Cultural Perspective

Valuation of emotion underlies cultural variation in cardiovascular stress responses.

Shame, Vulnerability, and Change

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About