Socratic Salon: Emotions
Few things play a larger role in human life than emotions. But what are emotions? Are emotions a kind of cognition, or something different? What makes anger different from sadness?Discussion on the nature of emotions has been a topic of philosophical discussion for centuries and in the present day there is still only limited philosophical and scientific consensus on the topic. Beyond the nature of emotion, there are other important questions. Most prominent is the normative question: are emotions good or bad for us? Or to be more nuanced, which particular emotions are good or bad for us, and in what ways? Are emotions fundamentally irrational? Or do emotions have a role to play in rationality and decision-making? On a practical level, there is the question of emotion regulation. Can we control our emotions, and if so, should we control them, and to what ends? Join us as we discuss all of these questions and more--there is a lot to talk about!
Optional Readings:
Introduction chapter to Philosophy of Emotion by Christine Tappolet
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tvNl5rvuJfu99TfPKZeOqfpcfNN9GkSD/view?usp=sharing
SEP article on Emotion (long)