Aristotle And Xunzi On Shame Moral Education And The Good Life

Despite recent developments in the history of emotions and in comparative studies, sustained cross-cultural comparative studies of the emotions remain few and far between. Jingyi Jenny Zhao has produced the first major work that takes two philosophers from the ancient Greek and early Chinese traditions to stimulate discussion of an interdisciplinary nature on the rich and complex topic of the emotions-in particular, of shame. It features comparative analysis of Greek and Chinese texts while bringing the ancient materials to bear on modern controversies such as the role of shame in moral education and social cohesion. Although unalike in their social-historical and intellectual backgrounds, Aristotle and Xunzi bear striking similarities in several respects: they both conceptualize humans as essentially members of communities, as having a unique set of characteristics that set them apart from other living things, and as beings in need of moral training to fulfil their potential and become integrated into a well-ordered society. The two philosophers' discourses on shame reveal important insights into their ideals of human nature, moral education and the good life. This book tackles directly the methodological problems that are relevant to anyone interested in cross-cultural comparisons and organizes discussions of the ancient sources to facilitate a thorough integration of perspectives from the cultural traditions concerned. This approach provides sufficient focus to allow for detailed textual analysis while giving scope for making constant connections to the broader comparative questions at issue.

This book presents a novel interpretation of Aristotle's account of how shame instils virtue, and defends its philosophical import. Shame is shown to provide motivational continuity between the actions of the learners and the virtuous dispositions that they will eventually acquire.

A pioneering, methodologically sophisticated set of studies describing and analysing key features of ancient Greek and Chinese civilisations, including issues in philosophy and religion, in art and literature, in mathematics and the life sciences, in agriculture, city planning and institutions. Provides a model for collaborative, comparative work on ancient civilisations.

Emotion Theory: The Routledge Comprehensive Guide is the first interdisciplinary reference resource which authoritatively takes stock of the progress made both in the philosophy of emotions and in affective science from Ancient Greece to today. A two-volume landmark publication, it provides an overview of emotion theory unrivaled in terms of its comprehensiveness, accessibility and systematicity. Comprising 62 chapters by 101 leading emotion theorists in philosophy, classics, psychology, biology, psychiatry, neuroscience and sociology, the collection is organized as follows: Volume I: Part I: History of Emotion Theory (10 chapters) Part II: Contemporary Theories of Emotions (10 chapters) Part III: The Elements of Emotion Theory (7 chapters) Volume II: Part IV: Nature and Functions of 35 Specific Emotions (22 chapters) Part V: Challenges Facing Emotion Theory (13 chapters) Special Elicitors of Emotions Emotions and Their Relations to Other Elements of Mental Architecture Emotions in Children, Animals and Groups Normative Aspects of Emotions Most of the major themes of contemporary emotion theory are covered in their historical, philosophical, and scientific dimensions. This collection will be essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, sociology, anthropology, political science, and history for decades to come.

Often, we tend to suppose that the ancient Greeks had primitive ideas of the self, of responsibility, freedom and shame, and that now humanity has advanced from these. Williams's book questions this picture of history and posits that we are not very different from the Greeks in our conceptions of ethical life.

Featuring contributions from the world's most highly esteemed Asian philosophy scholars, this important new encyclopedia covers the complex and increasingly influential field of Chinese thought, from earliest recorded times to the present day. Including coverage on the subject previously unavailable to English speakers, the Encyclopedia sheds light on the extensive range of concepts, movements, philosophical works, and thinkers that populate the field. It includes a thorough survey of the history of Chinese philosophy; entries on all major thinkers from Confucius to Mou Zongsan; essential topics such as aesthetics, moral philosophy, philosophy of government, and philosophy of literature; surveys of Confucianism in all historical periods (Zhou, Han, Tang, and onward) and in key regions outside China; schools of thought such as Mohism, Legalism, and Chinese Buddhism; trends in contemporary Chinese philosophy, and more.

This collection of original essays on virtue ethics and moral education seeks to fill this gap in the recent literature of moral education, combining broader analyses with detailed coverage of: * the varieties of virtue * weakness and integrity * relativism and rival traditions * means and methods of educating the virtues The rare collaboration of professional ethical theorists and educational philosophers provides a ground-breaking work and an exciting new focus in a growing area of research.

Tracing the views on moral life of such past philosophers as Plato, Aristotle and Kant, as well as of such theorists as Durkheim, Freud, Piaget and Kohlberg, the author sets forth a full discussion of the nature and educational implications of the idea of moral virtue.