Single Idea 23983

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / g. Controlling emotions]

Full Idea

In feeling towards things the imagination tends to 'run away with you', which is partly why the emotions are 'passions'; your thoughts and feelings are not always as much under your control as you would want them to be.

Gist of Idea

We call emotions 'passions' because they are not as controlled as we would like

Source

Peter Goldie (The Emotions [2000], 3 'Towards')

Book Reference

Goldie,Peter: 'The Emotions' [OUP 2002], p.58


A Reaction

This may have the chronology wrong. 'Passion' doesn't mean uncontrolled. I take it that 'passion' was an older word for 'emotion', and became attached to the older view of emotions as dangerous and corrupting.