Online Talk : Moral Psychology of Anger in Ancient China and Greece

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Why is the anger of Achilles criticized but that of Odysseus championed, when in both cases it led to many deaths? The ideal Greek woman could not be angry, the ideal Chinese woman could; what does that tell us about each society? What do the answers to these questions tell us about anger? In this talk, I argue that anger helps reveal and clarify our values, often pointing us towards real situations deserving of our ethical scrutiny. I do so by answering two charges with the aid of Chinese and Greek sources: (1) anger conceptually involves payback and is always a response to a slight; (2) given anger’s drawbacks we should look for other emotions that can do the same work for us. I end by pointing out how studying the moral psychology of anger from a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective enriches philosophical questions, rather than dilutes them.

Dr. Alba Curry

Alba Curry is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Leeds, UK, specializing in the comparative study of early China and Greece. Her previous studies include an MA in Chinese philosophy from Fudan University, Shanghai, and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow.