Date of Award
1-1-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Philosophy
First Advisor
Deborah Mower
Second Advisor
Aaron Graham
Third Advisor
Donovan Wishon
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Contempt permeates modern political discourse and popular media. Nevertheless, within the psychological and philosophical literature on reactive attitudes, moral emotions, and negative sentiments, contempt remains comparatively understudied. In this paper, I examine contempt’s intimate connection with social identity and argue that existing accounts of contempt largely overlook the broader social role it plays in a contemporary moment characterized by digital communication and fluid group dynamics. I contend that public expressions of contempt serve two primary expressive functions in modern society: (1) to signal group identification and (2) to enforce group norms—not for the target of contempt, but for third party observers.
Recommended Citation
Servatius, Eric Michael, "A Profile of Contempt: Its Expressive Function in the Age of Profilicity" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3385.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/3385