The work of the German sociologist Helmut Schöck, which has become a classic, presents a comprehensive analysis of envy as a socio-psychological and social phenomenon and as a motive for human social behavior. The role of this emotion in maintaining the social structure of traditional society and in the emergence of radical egalitarian and socialist movements is explored. It is shown that institutionalized envy is one of the main obstacles to the economic growth of developing countries. The role of envy in modern politics and institutions of developed societies is also studied using extensive material. The subject of the research is considered from an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing on materials from anthropology, ethnography, psychology (psychoanalysis), literary criticism and other disciplines. 2nd edition, electronic.