ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Police aren’t helping, so I’m shaming the shoplifters myself’ so said Suki Athwal, the co-owner of a convenience store in Kent. Frustrated with the growing number of thefts, Mr Athwal put up a screenshot of a customer who’d stolen from his shop. But he was told that he would have to remove the poster as it could be a violation of data protection laws.

This isn’t the only story to make headlines – in recent months I’ve often heard the phrase ` they’re shameless’ to describe such law breaking -the implication being that many people now stealing from shops and stores not in secret but quite openly, simply don’t care. Being caught carries neither stigma, humiliation or remorse.

Shame is a complex word, and shaming is a blunt tool. In much of moral philosophy, shame isn’t really considered a virtue but a moral emotion which can guide our behaviour towards virtue acting as an internal stop sign. For some, shame is too dependent on societal norms and its collective moral standards or the communal gaze. The argument is that true morality must be more autonomous, coming from within a person. A few years ago, an American Christian organisation invited me to think about the virtues I would like to explore in my research and when I suggested shame as a possibility, he looked at me quizzically and asked ` in today’s society is shame really a virtue?’

But I think it can be when we see it as moral awareness, our conscience which can restrain dishonourable or indecent behaviour and help us to acknowledge our guilt and accountability when we do something we know to be wrong. Perhaps we struggle with the concept of shame because its often used to dehumanise others. Those who were shamed into keeping quiet about suffering abuse and exploitation, those who are mocked or rejected for who they are or who struggle with how they look – here, shame can be destructive and paralysing and I’m reminded of Charles Dickens words, `Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears.’

There’s an Islamic saying that `every religion has its character, and the character of Islam is haya’ a word meaning shame or modesty. While today, modesty has become largely synonymous with clothing and covering, the word haya’ goes deeper invoking humility, self-respect and empathy for others. It reminds us that our moral life is relational, that mutual bonds of trust enable a flourishing life for us all, and that when we disrespect others, its often a sign of how we see ourselves.

Show less