The common touch: Guilt as restraint of trade

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Abstract:

An effective campaign has been waged against guilt. Not only disavowed by celebrity role models, guilt has now been dismissed as a ‘useless emotion’ by the competent authorities, those official technocrats delegated to manage subjectivity and mental health. This affect, they say, is inhibiting and archaic. De-legitimated, what was once an honoured, if uncomfortable, gamekeeper has been done down. Bad-mouthed as negative and unproductive – yuck! – guilt has become legal quarry.

Details / PDF:

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