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THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF EMOTIONS IN THE BHAGAVAD GĪTĀ
Author(s) -
Johnson Kathryn Ann
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of religious ethics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.306
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1467-9795
pISSN - 0384-9694
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9795.2007.00325.x
Subject(s) - shame , divinity , order (exchange) , moral dilemma , narrative , psychology , social psychology , moral order , autonomy , dilemma , sociology , epistemology , psychoanalysis , philosophy , theology , law , social science , linguistics , finance , political science , economics
Religious texts and historical narratives are instrumental in defining appropriate emotions and moral reasoning in a culture. In the Bhagavad G ı tā , the warrior Arjuna is faced with a twofold dilemma: are his emotions appropriate and should emotions influence his actions? The G ı tā is thought to be a redacted text with three primary layers: the original verses, the Sāmkhya/Yoga layer, and the devotional bhakti layer. Cross‐cultural psychological theories of emotions are employed to analyze the layers of the G ı tā . It is argued that each of the three layers corresponds with one of three possible moral codes as proposed by R. A. Shweder and his colleagues (1997; 2000): the Ethic of Autonomy (promoting personal well‐being and avoiding shame); the Ethic of Community (maintaining social order and emotional detachment); and the Ethic of Divinity (upholding cosmic order and endorsing emotional devotion). These three perspectives remain relevant for deciding emotionally laden moral dilemmas today.