Envy, Jealousy, and Related Emotions—Modern Theories

Abstract

This chapter surveys and synthesizes modern research on relevant emotions in philosophy, psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, and anthropology. The scripts associated with envy (begrudging envy, covetous envy, emulative envy) are looked at in detail, and envy’s tendency to consciously misrepresent itself as, or unconsciously transmute itself into, other emotions is described. A number of emotions that overlap with envy (emulation, covetousness, spite, Schadenfreude) or which envy is transmuted into (indignation, desire for fairness/equality, desire for justice) are examined, and the precise relationships between these emotions and envy explored. The scenarios associated with jealousy (such as possessive jealousy, jealous of my position, and sexual jealousy) are explored in the same detail as those relating to envy, and the two emotions are finally compared and contrasted.