This essay will examine the social and moral function of the emotion contempt along with its positive and negative consequences for society in general as well as in specific situations. In order to properly discuss and investigate in which contexts contempt is a helpful or harmful emotion, ‘emotion’ itself must be examined along with its functions.
Paul Ekman defines emotion as the primary function to mobilize the organism to deal quickly with important interpersonal encounters. Applied to a social setting, the key function of emotions is to solve problems, which are important for social relationships. Thus, emotions play have a functional role in guiding individuals in human interactions. However, emotions can also lead a person to irrational action and are even almost guaranteed to be wrong sometimes.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Function of Emotions
- Social Functions of Emotion
- Contempt as a Moral Emotion
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay examines the social and moral functions of the emotion contempt, exploring its positive and negative consequences for society. It investigates the contexts in which contempt is helpful or harmful by examining the nature of emotion and its functions, considering both individual and societal levels.
- The function of emotions in social interactions
- The social functions of emotion across individual, dyadic, group, and cultural levels
- Contempt as a moral emotion and its relationship to other emotions like anger and disgust
- The social consequences of contempt, including both positive and negative effects
- The role of contempt in moral judgment and decision-making
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This introductory section sets the stage for the essay by establishing the significance of contempt as a social and moral emotion. It highlights the limited discussion of contempt in psychological literature despite its societal recognition and its classification as a potentially dangerous emotion. The essay's aim to explore the social and moral functions of contempt, along with its positive and negative societal consequences, is clearly stated. The introduction effectively underscores the need for a comprehensive examination of this often-overlooked emotion and its impact on social dynamics.
The Function of Emotions: This chapter delves into the nature and function of emotions themselves, establishing a foundational understanding necessary to analyze contempt. It highlights the dual nature of emotions: their capacity to facilitate problem-solving in social interactions, and their potential to lead to irrational actions due to cognitive biases or faulty processing of stimuli. The chapter incorporates multiple research studies, including Mackie & Smith (2015) on the influence of social identities on emotional experience, and Baumeister et al. (2007) on the indirect influence of emotions on behavior through retrospective evaluation. These studies showcase the multifaceted role of emotions in guiding behavior, both rationally and irrationally, providing a crucial context for understanding the potential impact of contempt.
Social Functions of Emotion: Building upon the previous chapter, this section expands on the social functions of emotions, examining their roles at different levels of social interaction. Utilizing Keltner & Haidt's (1999) framework, the chapter explores the individual, dyadic, group, and cultural levels of emotional function. At the individual level, emotions inform individuals about social events and prepare them for response. At the dyadic level, emotions aid communication and understanding between individuals. Group-level functions highlight the role of emotions in group identification and boundary definition. Finally, the cultural level emphasizes the role of emotions in socialization and cultural norm transmission. The integration of various studies underscores the adaptive nature of emotions and their diverse functions in human society. The discussion of moral emotions, such as anger and disgust, lays the groundwork for the following chapter's focus on contempt.
Contempt as a Moral Emotion: This chapter focuses specifically on contempt, analyzing its characteristics and social functions. It establishes contempt as a moral emotion triggered by perceived immoral actions, differentiating it from emotions such as disgust and anger. The chapter draws on several studies, including Hutcherson & Gross (2011) which distinguishes between moral disgust, anger, and contempt, and Fischer & Roseman (2007) which compares contempt and anger. These studies demonstrate that contempt is linked to judgments of incompetence and a lack of respect, leading to social exclusion rather than confrontation. The chapter also touches on the long-term consequences of contempt, contrasting its effects with the effects of anger in situations such as consumer responses to corporate wrongdoing, concluding that contempt often leads to destructive rather than constructive outcomes.
Keywords
Contempt, emotion, moral judgment, social function, anger, disgust, social exclusion, incompetence, irrational action, moral emotions, social interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Comprehensive Language Preview
What is the overall topic of this essay?
The essay examines the social and moral functions of the emotion contempt, exploring its positive and negative consequences for society. It investigates when contempt is helpful or harmful by examining the nature of emotion and its functions at both individual and societal levels.
What are the key themes explored in the essay?
Key themes include the function of emotions in social interactions; the social functions of emotion across individual, dyadic, group, and cultural levels; contempt as a moral emotion and its relationship to other emotions like anger and disgust; the social consequences of contempt (both positive and negative); and the role of contempt in moral judgment and decision-making.
What are the main chapters covered in the essay?
The essay includes an introduction, a chapter on the function of emotions, a chapter on the social functions of emotion, and a chapter specifically focused on contempt as a moral emotion.
What is the introduction's purpose?
The introduction establishes the significance of contempt as a social and moral emotion, highlighting the limited discussion of it in psychological literature despite its societal recognition. It clearly states the essay's aim to explore the social and moral functions of contempt and its societal consequences, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive examination of this emotion's impact on social dynamics.
What does the chapter on "The Function of Emotions" discuss?
This chapter delves into the nature and function of emotions, providing a foundational understanding for analyzing contempt. It discusses the dual nature of emotions: their capacity to facilitate problem-solving and their potential to lead to irrational actions. It incorporates research studies on the influence of social identities on emotional experience and the indirect influence of emotions on behavior.
What is covered in the chapter on "Social Functions of Emotion"?
This chapter expands on the social functions of emotions at different levels of social interaction (individual, dyadic, group, and cultural). It utilizes Keltner & Haidt's (1999) framework and explores how emotions inform individuals about social events, aid communication, contribute to group identification, and influence cultural norm transmission. The discussion of moral emotions like anger and disgust lays the groundwork for the chapter on contempt.
What is the focus of the chapter on "Contempt as a Moral Emotion"?
This chapter specifically analyzes contempt, establishing it as a moral emotion triggered by perceived immoral actions, differentiating it from disgust and anger. It uses research to show that contempt is linked to judgments of incompetence and a lack of respect, often leading to social exclusion. It also discusses the long-term consequences of contempt, contrasting its effects with those of anger.
What are the key words associated with the essay?
Key words include: Contempt, emotion, moral judgment, social function, anger, disgust, social exclusion, incompetence, irrational action, moral emotions, and social interaction.
- Quote paper
- Duc Minh Vu (Author), 2021, Social and Moral Emotions. The Positive and Negative Consequences of Contempt, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1004232
