Guilt: The Bite of Conscience

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.

Author: Herant Katchadourian
Publisher: Stanford General Books
Published: 07/06/2011
Pages: 392
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.19lbs
Size: 9.03h x 6.09w x 0.86d
ISBN13: 9780804778718
ISBN10: 080477871X
BISAC Categories:
- Philosophy | Ethics & Moral Philosophy
- Psychology | Emotions

About the Author
Herant Katchadourian is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Human Biology at Stanford University and former president of the Flora Family Foundation. He has received numerous awards, including Stanford's Dinkelspiel Award and the Lyman Award from the Stanford Alumni Association.