Hope and embitterment

Abstract

Hope has been of interest across centuries and cultures. In Greek mythology, for example, it was one of the evils contained in Pandora's box, a gif sent by the gods in order to punish humanity. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, on the other hand, hope is conceptualized as a virtue, a spiritual gif from God, unquestionably a good thing. Hope is also an important philosophical topic with numerous philosophers having reflected on the topic. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Vienna.