Guilt

The Bite of Conscience

Herant Katchadourian

• Publisher: Stanford General Books
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780804778718, 9780804763615
• eBook ISBN: 9780804778435
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ethics & Moral Philosophy

This is the first study of guilt from a wide variety of perspectives: psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, evolutionary psychology, anthropology, six major religions, four key moral philosophers, and the law. Katchadourian explores the ways in which guilt functions within individual lives and intimate relationships, looking at behaviors that typically induce guilt in both historical and modern contexts. He examines how the capacity for moral judgments develops within individuals and through evolutionary processes. He then turns to the socio-cultural aspects of guilt and addresses society's attempts to come to terms with guilt as culpability through the legal process.

This personal work draws from, and integrates, material from extensive primary and secondary literature. Through the extensive use of literary and personal accounts, it provides an intimate picture of what it is like to experience this universal emotion. Written in clear and engaging prose, with a touch of humor, Guilt should appeal to a wide audience.

Table of contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1: Guilt and Its Neighbors
• Chapter 2: Commandments and Sins
• Chapter 3: Guilt and Relationships
• Chapter 4: Guilt without Transgression
• Chapter 5: The Pathology of Guilt
• Chapter 6: The Development of Moral Judgment
• Chapter 7: The Evolution of Guilt
• Chapter 8: Guilt in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
• Chapter 9: Guilt in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism
• Chapter 10: Guilt in the Light of Reason
• Chapter 11: Guilt in the Courtroom
• Epilogue