The Prevalence of Psychological Knowledge and the Consecration of the Heart

Abstract

Psychological knowledge prevails in society today.The way people think and act is deeply influenced by discourses of the heart. People are greatly concerned about the state of their hearts and minds. They feel impelled to exercise care about its condition or maintenance, and be prudent not to hurt other people's feeling. In these circumstances, the heart is treated as sacred.The purpose of this paper is to examine from the viewpoint of sociology of knowledge why psychological knowledge flourishes and why the heart is regarded as sacred today. Surveying the theoretical development of E.Durkheim's conception of “culte de la personne, ” I try to clarify the sociological origins of this phenomenon.First, Durkheim's concept of “culte de la personne” is examined. According to Durkheim, the person is sanctified as sacred in modern society. They worship the notion of the person and revere the individual. Next, E.Goffman's essays on “face-work” and “interaction ritual” are considered. Informed by Durkheim's arguments, he applies them to mass society and points out that secularized society is in reality not “secular” One's “face” -that is, one's appearance?continues to enjoy sanctity, and the individual remains “godly.” Third, A.Hochschild's thesis on “emotion management” is discussed. She notes that people are required to perform “emotion work” conforming to “feeling rules, ” and also suggests that ritual care is given to the heart. Lastly, I illustrate the above discussion with a case study on lessons on mental care in a Japanese elementary school.By re-reading the seminal works of leading sociologists, I intend to show in this paper that the cult of individual led to the rise of psychotherapeutics and the worship of the heart.