A Philosophy of Shame: A Revolutionary Emotion

By: Frédéric Gros

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: An original reflection on shame as the central feeling of our age — the expression of an anger that is the necessary condition for new strugglesCan shame become a source of political strength? Faced with injustice, growing inequality and systemic violence, we cry out in shame. We feel ashamed of obscene wealth amid wider deprivation. We feel ashamed of humanity for its ruthless and relentless exploitation of the earth. We feel ashamed of the racism and sexism that permeate society and our everyday lives.This difficult emotion is not just sadness or a withdrawal into oneself, nor is it a paralysing sense of inadequacy. As Frédéric Gros argues in A Philosophy of Shame, it arises when our perception of reality rejects passivity and resignation and instead embraces imagination. Shame thus becomes the expression of an anger that is a powerful, transformative force —one that assumes a radical character.In dialogue with authors such as Primo Levi, Annie Ernaux, Virginie Despentes and James Baldwin, Gros explores a concept that is still little understood in its anthropological, moral, psychological and political depths. Shame is a revolutionary sentiment because it lies at the foundation of any path of subjective recognition, transformation and struggle.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
Book Size:: 176 Pages
ISBN-13:: 9781804294178
Related ISBNs:: 9781804294154, 9781804294185
Publisher:: Verso Books
Date of Addition:: 05/20/25
Copyrighted By:: Andy Bliss
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: Nonfiction, Social Studies, Law, Legal Issues and Ethics, Philosophy, Politics and Government
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.
Translator:: Andrew James Bliss