PHI 352 - Philosophy of Emotions

Fall 2021

Philosophy of Emotions
Jankovic

Emotions upset us, overtake us, make us do things we later regret. Our stomachs twist, hearts pound, cheeks burn. But sometime they make our hearts flutter, chests expand, faces brighten. It’s the kind of stuff that makes life exciting. This course will concern emotions and the range of human motivation. We will ask general questions such as: What kind of mental states are emotions? How are they related to action? Are there universal emotions or are they culturally relative? Are emotions merely biological, a brute reflex often at odds with our rationality? Or are they constructed, a result of cultural influences? We will also consider specific emotions: Is anger always bad? Is love an emotion or something more similar to judgment? Is it always wrong to feel envy? We will read what philosophers have said about these questions and meet to think, discuss and write about them. 

Satisfies the Philosophy major seminar requirement.
Counts as an elective for the Philosophy minor.

Prerequisites & Notes
 

This course can be repeated for credit given sufficiently distinct topics: check with the department chair. (Fall, Spring)