Gratefulness and Resentfulness : A Virtuous Asymmetry

Scholars distinguish between gratitude, which involves not only appreciation of benefit but a positive feeling directed to the benefactor, from gratefulness, which does not necessarily involve any benefactor, much less a feeling toward one (‘I am grateful for the warm sunshine.’). I suggest a parallel distinction between resentment and resentfulness. I argue that virtue recommends asymmetric attitudes between gratefulness and resentfulness. The one is good, and the other is bad. Both sentiments spring from primeval instincts; in particular, in the primeval band, resentfulness would be provoked by inequality and by non-inclusiveness, and give rise to proper resentment. But we are not in the band anymore. Since, now, only resentfulness is bad, only it should be deemed an atavism. Gratefulness is, rather, a virtue, and should be encourage