Hatred and Disgust Dr. Green

Appetites AgreeablenessDisgust Natural Appetiteattuned and adapted to that which is suitable to it dissonance from that which opposes and destroys it Sensible Appetiteharmony of the appetite with that which is apprehended as suitable dissonance of the appetite from that which is apprehended as repugnant and hurtful Rational Appetiteharmony of the appetite with that which is apprehended as suitable dissonance of the appetite from that which is apprehended as repugnant and hurtful

Agreeableness and Disgust Maintain boundaries and protect basic identities Separate the pure and clean from the contaminated and unclean Governed by magical thinking (cooties) – Contact can clean or contaminate

Core Disgust Ingestion—taking in something orally That which is taken in is an offensive substance That substance is offensive because it is contaminated, e.g. has been touch by or near to human waste, a worm, cockroaches, etc. (Rozin and Fallon)

Taste vs Texture Studies have found that texture is more important than taste Slimy, gooey, mushy and gelatinous foods were the most disgusting. (Most like rotten infectious flesh?)

Types of Disgust Biological disgust maintains biological boundaries Social disgust maintains social boundaries Cultural disgust maintains ideological and moral boundaries

Biological Disgust Animal Nature Disgust Natural Reactions – Nausea and vomiting – Gag reflex Natural objects – Rotten food (disgust=bad taste) – Bodily products, such as feces, urine, vomit, pus, blood, nasal discharge, semen, etc. – Death and the violation of body (gore) – The odor of decay or feces

Biological Disgust The immune system distinguishes like from unlike Disgust part of the immune continuum – Disgust prevents infectious agent from getting into the body – Vomiting removes it from the body before it can penetrate the bodily envelope – Immune system destroys infectious threats that have penetrated the body boundary Serotonin – A link between disgust and immunity? Medical Hypotheses, Volume 68, Issue 1, Pages M. Rubio-Godoy, R. Aunger, V. Curtis

Animals and Disgust Disgust toward what reminds us of our animal nature Cannibalism converts humans into food.

Disgust and Sex Inappropriate sexual activities – Between people and animals – Between people of different ages – Between people of the same sex – Between living and dead people – Performed in inappropriate ways Masturbation Oral sex Anal sex

Disgust and Death Disgust from touching a corpse or dead animal The Greek Miasma (pollution) arose from contact with the dead

Social Disgust “We are clean. They are dirty.” – Maintains boundaries in the family (incest taboo) – Maintains class boundaries – Maintains racial boundaries – Maintains national boundaries They – Eat disgusting food – Live in disgusting ways – Do disgusting things

Group Identity Shared notions of disgust for the basis for distinguishing like from unlike and maintaining group identity

The Bacchae Pentheus attributed disgusting behavior to the Bacchants – Drunken orgies

Cultural Disgust Maintain moral boundaries – Abortion images – Homosexuality Research by David Pizarro, professor at Cornell University indicates that conservatives tend to be more disgust sensitive.

Preludes to a Conversion Experience Martin Luther’s mystical dump Jonathan Edwards and the urinating dog Expelling impurity from the self

Religion and Disgust The object of “religion” is The Sacred – The Sacred is pure and spiritual – Desecrating the pure is disgusting – Impurity of the body contaminates the spirit Food and drink taboos Touch taboos Sexual taboos – The body reminds us that we are animals that eat, excrete, and have sex.

Boundaries Menstrual Odors, Dirty Diapers, and the Male Dominated Religious Quest For Purity: Giving Birth to Misogyny, Ethnic, and Racial Discriminations Originating in the Human Biological Emotion of Disgust. by William A. Spriggs trualOdors&Religion.htm