Shame and guilt - Self-referential affects in alterity theory

By critically analysing Wurmser's concept of shame, the author develops his understanding of shame and guilt. He theoretically takes as his starting point the theory of object relations and the theory of structure, and broadens these approaches by including the aspect of reciprocity to the ''theory of alterity'' ''Shame'' is taken as an ''interface''-emotion, which first manifests itself in the interactional outside and which constitutes the relational structure of self-consciousness via the internationalisation of the interacting relations between subject and object. Characteristic structures of these levels of internalisation are described from the viewpoint of developmental psychology. - ''Guilt'' on the other hand is taken as the emotional surface of the activity of separating the subject from the other person. Leading first via processes of allocation of blame to the collapse of the harmony between subject and object, this activity is later secondarily employed to regressively restore the former condition. These efforts result in an easier to manage ''secondary guilt'' and possibilities of remorseful reparation.