PHIL 244 The Heart and the Mind: Philosophy of the Emotions
Emotions—feelings such as love, anger, grief, joy, fear, gratitude, shame, and pity—are among the most powerful aspects of human life. This course explores the role emotions play in a well-lived life. How do our emotional responses enrich our experiences and deepen our understanding of ourselves and others, and when might they lead us astray? Can emotions be rational, or are emotions and reason always in tension? And are there emotions that seem undesirable at first—such as envy or guilt—but that nonetheless serve an important or even valuable function in our moral and emotional lives? Our course will focus primarily on contemporary philosophical texts, supplemented by select historical readings and psychological studies. This course satisfies the Mind & World component of the Philosophy major.