gratitude

gratitude
Generally treated as a duty, but an interesting one in that the duty is not to act but to feel a certain way. Although the concept involves the idea of repayment, gratitude is not simply the just repayment of debt, for the benefactor cannot demand gratitude in the way a creditor can demand repayment. Also we should feel gratitude for things that we cannot in any meaningful sense repay, such as life (or, Aristotle argues, a training in philosophy). What is required is a feeling of love or honour for the benefactor, and deficiency in this feeling is a failing so severe as to be, in Hume's words, ‘of all crimes that human beings are capable of committing, the most horrid and unnatural’.

Philosophy dictionary. . 2011.

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  • gratitude — [ gratityd ] n. f. • 1445; de ingratitude, ou du bas lat. gratitudo, de gratus « reconnaissant » ♦ Sentiment d affection que l on ressent pour qqn dont on est l obligé. ⇒ reconnaissance. Sentiment de gratitude. « Celui là n a pas un bon cœur, que …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Gratitude — Gratitude, appreciation, or thankfulness is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive. In a religious context, gratitude can also refer to a feeling of indebtedness towards a deity. Most… …   Wikipedia

  • Gratitude — La gratitude est un concept de psychanalyse de Mélanie Klein basé sur celui de l envie). La gratitude s oppose à l envie en tant que besoin et exprime au contraire un sentiment de satisfaction envers l objet, ce qui permet à l enfant de percevoir …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gratitude — Grat i*tude, n. [F. gratitude, LL. gratitudo, from gratus agreeable, grateful. See {Grate}, a.] The state of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favor received; thankfulness. [1913 Webster] The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gratitude — Gratitude. s. f. Reconnoissance d un bien fait receu. Tesmoigner, faire voir sa gratitude. donner des marques de sa gratitude …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • gratitude — (n.) mid 15c., good will, from M.Fr. gratitude (15c.) or directly from M.L. gratitudinem (nom. gratitudo) thankfulness, from L. gratus thankful, pleasing (see GRACE (Cf. grace)). Meaning thankfulness is from 1560s …   Etymology dictionary

  • gratitude — index recognition Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • gratitude — [n] appreciation acknowledgment, appreciativeness, grace, gratefulness, honor, indebtedness, obligation, praise, recognition, requital, response, responsiveness, sense of obligation, thankfulness, thanks, thanksgiving; concepts 32,76,278,410 Ant …   New thesaurus

  • gratitude — ► NOUN ▪ thankfulness; appreciation of kindness. ORIGIN Latin gratitudo, from gratus pleasing, thankful …   English terms dictionary

  • gratitude — [grat′i to͞od΄, grat′ityo͞od΄] n. [Fr < ML gratitudo < L gratus, pleasing: see GRACE] a feeling of thankful appreciation for favors or benefits received; thankfulness …   English World dictionary

  • gratitude — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ deep, profound ▪ heartfelt, sincere ▪ eternal, undying VERB + GRATITUDE ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

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