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Single Idea 23974

[filed under theme 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / a. Nature of emotions ]

Full Idea

Many philosophers who discuss the intentionality of the emotions seek to capture the intentionality of the emotions in terms of beliefs, or beliefs and desires. I think this is a mistake, and runs the risk of leaving feelings out of emotional experience.

Gist of Idea

Emotional intentionality as belief and desire misses out the necessity of feelings

Source

Peter Goldie (The Emotions [2000], 2 'Intentionality')

Book Ref

Goldie,Peter: 'The Emotions' [OUP 2002], p.18


A Reaction

[He gives a list, which includes Kenny and Davidson] I would have thought that desires, at least, necessarily involve feelings, and neuroscientists seem to find emotions everywhere, including as part of belief. Be more holistic?


The 17 ideas with the same theme [essential nature of an emotion]:

Emotion is a modification of bodily energy, controlling our actions [Spinoza]
Freud said passions are pressures of some flowing hydraulic quantity [Freud, by Solomon]
Rage is inconceivable without bodily responses; so there are no disembodied emotions [James]
An emotion and its object form a unity, so emotion is a mode of apprehension [Sartre]
Emotion is one of our modes of understanding our Being-in-the-World [Sartre]
Feelings are not unchanging, but have a history (especially if they are noble) [Foucault]
I say bodily chemistry and its sensations have nothing to do with emotions [Solomon]
Emotions are judgements about ourselves, and our place in the world [Solomon]
Emotions are defined by their objects [Solomon]
The heart of an emotion is its judgement of values and morality [Solomon]
Emotions can be analysed under fifteen headings [Solomon]
Emotions have both intentionality and qualia [Kim]
Babies show highly emotional brain events, but may well be unaware of them [Carter,R]
'Having an emotion' differs from 'being emotional' [Goldie]
Unlike moods, emotions have specific objects, though the difference is a matter of degree [Goldie]
Emotional intentionality as belief and desire misses out the necessity of feelings [Goldie]
A long lasting and evolving emotion is still seen as a single emotion, such as love [Goldie]