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The concept of gratitude in philosophy and psychology: an update

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Abstract

This paper surveys interdisciplinary research on gratitude that has been conducted since the review paper translated into German in this issue ‘Recent work on the concept of gratitude in philosophy and psychology’, was published in the Journal of Value Inquiry in 2013. We share progress on our subsequent research, and report on key developments in the field. We revisit familiar themes regarding conditions placed on gratitude, the structure and moral value of gratitude, and the pedagogical implications of research on gratitude, addressing the issue of how the virtue of gratitude should be promoted and taught. As befits a collection dedicated to exploring gratitude’s potential ‘shadow’, we consider again the valence of gratitude and whether it is as quintessentially positive as many have assumed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Psychology and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health, Education and Society, University of Northampton, University Drive, NN1 5PH, Northampton, UK

    Liz Gulliford

  2. School of Psychology, University of Worcester, WR2 6AJ, Worcester, UK

    Blaire Morgan

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  1. Liz Gulliford
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  2. Blaire Morgan
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Correspondence to Liz Gulliford.

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Gulliford, L., Morgan, B. The concept of gratitude in philosophy and psychology: an update. ZEMO 4, 201–212 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42048-021-00103-w

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