Philosophy of Emotion: A Contemporary Introduction

Description

In this book, Christine Tappolet offers readers a thorough, wide-ranging, and highly accessible introduction to the philosophy of emotions. It covers recent interdisciplinary debates on the nature of emotions as well as standard theories of emotions, such as feeling theories, motivational theories, and evaluative theories. The book includes discussions of the alleged irrationality of emotions, and looks into the question of whether emotions could not, in some cases, contribute positively to theoretical and practical rationality. In addition, the role of emotions in the theory of virtues and the theory of values receives a detailed treatment. Finally, the book turns to the question of how we can regulate and even educate our emotions by engaging with music and with narrative art. The overall picture of emotions that emerges is one that does justice to the central role that emotions play in our lives, conceiving of emotions as crucial to our grasp of values. As an opinionated introduction, the book doesn’t pretend to be neutral but aims to engage readers in contemporary debates. Each chapter closes with questions for further discussion and suggestions for further reading. Key Features Written for advanced undergraduates, suitable as the main text in a philosophy of emotion course or as a complement to a set of primary readings Includes useful features for student readers like introductions, study questions, and suggestions for further reading in each chapter Considers whether emotions interfere with our reasoning or whether they can, in some cases, help us to be more rational Argues against basic emotion theory and social constructionism that emotions are both shaped by biological forces and social forces Discusses a variety of subjectivist and objectivist approaches, which share the assumption that emotions and values are closely connected. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface PART I: The Philosophy and the Science of Emotions 1 The Philosophy of Emotions 1.1. Preamble 1.2. Emotions from Plato to Aquinas 1.3. Modern Philosophy and the Emotions 1.4. The Central Questions 1.5. The Relevance of Scientific Results 1.6. Taking Stock 1.7. Summary 1.8. Study Questions 1.9. Further Readings 2 The Affective Domain 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Feeling and Motivation 2.3. The Objects of Emotions 2.4. Emotions and Evaluations 2.5. The Temporal Shape of Emotions 2.6. Emotional Dispositions 2.7. Moods 2.8. Taking Stock 2.9. Summary 2.10. Study Questions 2.11. Further Readings 3 Are Emotions Social Constructs? 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Biological Determinism 3.3. The Evidence for Basic Emotion Theory 3.4. The Evidence from Evolutionary Psychology 3.5. Social Constructionism 3.6. The Evidence for Social Constructionism 3.7. The Plasticity of Emotions 3.8. Taking Stock 3.9. Summary 3.10. Study Questions 3.11. Further Readings PART II: Theories of Emotions 4 Feeling Theories 4.1. Introduction 4.2. The Challenges to Emotion Theories 4.3. William James’ Bodily Feeling Theory 4.4. The Arguments for the Bodily Feeling Theory 4.5. Two Objections from Demarcation 4.6. The Objection from Unconscious Emotions 4.7. The Objections from Intentionality and from Motivation 4.8. Taking Stock 4.9. Summary 4.10. Study Questions 4.11. Further Readings 5 Motivational Theories 5.1. Introduction 5.2. The Simple Motivational Theory 5.3. Two Arguments for the Simple Motivational Theory 5.4. The Objections from Demarcation 5.5. The Objections from Intentionality 5.6. The Attitudinal Theory 5.7. An Argument for the Attitudinal Theory 5.8. Objections to the Attitudinal Theory 5.9. Taking Stock 5.10. Summary 5.11. Study Questions 5.12. Further Readings 6 Evaluative Theories 6.1. Introduction 6.2. Appraisal Theories 6.3. Judgmental and Quasi-Judgmental Theories 6.4. Perceptual Theories 6.5. For and against Literal Perceptual Theories 6.6. The Receptive Theory 6.7. Taking Stock 6.8. Summary 6.9. Study Questions 6.10. Further Readings PART III: Normativity and the Emotions 7 Emotions and Theoretical Rationality 7.1. Introduction 7.2. The Justification of Evaluative Beliefs 7.3. The Objection from Reliability 7.4. The Objection from Why-Questions 7.5. The Objection from the Focus of Attention 7.6. Taking Stock 7.7. Summary 7.8. Study Questions 7.9. Further Readings 8 Emotions and Practical Rationality 8.1. Introduction 8.2. Arational Actions 8.3. Emotions and Akrasia 8.4. Inverse Akrasia 8.5. Rational Akrasia 8.6. Emotions and Decision-Making 8.7. Taking Stock 8.8. Summary 8.9. Study questions 8.10. Further Readings 9 Sentimentalism 9.1. Introduction 9.2. Kinds of Sentimentalism 9.3. Simple Subjectivism 9.4. Ideal Observer Theories 9.5. Neo-sentimentalism 9.6. Sensibility Theories 9.7. Taking Stock 9.8. Summary 9.9. Study Questions 9.10. Further Readings 10 Ethics and the Emotions 10.1. Introduction 10.2. Aristotelian Virtue Theory 10.3. The Socratic Interpretation 10.4. The Objection from Modesty 10.5. The Objection from Over-Intellectualization 10.6. Sreenivasan’s Theory of Virtues 10.7. Sreenivasan’s Arguments 10.8. The Importance of Caring 10.9. Virtues and Happiness 10.10. Taking Stock 10.11. Summary 10.12. Study Questions 10.13. Further Readings PART IV: Art and the Shaping of Emotions 11 Emotion Regulation and Music 11.1. Introduction 11.2. The Science of Emotion Regulation 11.3. The Emotional Effects of Music 11.4. The Paradox of Sad Music 11.5. Music, Flow, and Happiness 11.6. Taking Stock 11.7. Summary 11.8. Study Questions 11.9. Further Readings 12 Sentimental Education and Fiction 12.1. Introduction 12.2. What Is Sentimental Education? 12.3. Sentimental Education as Calibration 12.4. From Conditioning to Social Learning 12.5. The Paradoxical Power of Fiction 12.6. The Paradox of Negative Emotions 12.7. Literature and the Education of Sentiments 12.8. Taking Stock 12.9. Summary 12.10. Study Questions 12.11. Further Readings Conclusion References Index