This paper examines moral bitterness as a distinct blaming emotion in response to injustice. I argue that bitterness differs from anger in its communicative force: whereas anger calls for uptake and resolution from the wrongdoer, bitterness tends to seek sympathy often from third parties and reflects the subject’s motivation not to pursue change due to a loss of hope. Thus, moral bitterness illuminates a derivative form of reactive blame that preserves moral protest without the paradigmatic second-personal demands for repair. I further contend that while bitterness does not aim at repairing injustice, it may be both prudentially and morally justified. In cases of systemic oppression or extreme interpersonal harm, continuing to repair the moral relationship may be admirable but need not be morally required.
Dong An (Tue,) studied this question.