From Passions to Emotions : The Creation of a Secular Psychological Category

Today there is a thriving 'emotions industry' to which philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists are contributing. Yet until two centuries ago 'the emotions' did not exist. In this path-breaking study Thomas Dixon shows how, during the nineteenth century, the emotions came into being as a distinct psychological category, replacing existing categories such as appetites, passions, sentiments and affections. By examining medieval and eighteenth-century theological psychologies and placing Charles Darwin and William James within a broader and more complex nineteenth-century setting, Thomas Dixon argues that this domination by one single descriptive category is not healthy. Overinclusivity of 'the emotions' hampers attempts to argue with any subtlety about the enormous range of mental states and stances of which humans are capable. This book is an important contribution to the debate about emotion and rationality which has preoccupied western thinkers throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and has implications for contemporary debates. Today There Is A Thriving 'emotions Industry' To Which Philosophers, Psychologists And Neuroscientists Are Contributing. Yet Until Two Centuries Ago 'the Emotions' Did Not Exist. In This Path-breaking Study Thomas Dixon Shows How, During The Nineteenth Century, The Emotions Came Into Being As A Distinct Psychological Category, Replacing Existing Categories Such As Appetites, Passions, Sentiments And Affections. By Examining Medieval And Eighteenth-century Theological Psychologies And Placing Charles Darwin And William James Within A Broader And More Complex Nineteenth-century Setting, Thomas Dixon Argues That This Domination By One Single Descriptive Category Is Not Healthy. The Overinclusivity Of 'the Emotions' Hampers Attempts To Argue With Any Subtlety About The Enormous Range Of Mental States And Stances Of Which Humans Are Capable. This Book Is An Important Contribution To The Debate About Emotion And Rationality Which Has Preoccupied Western Thinkers Throughout The Eighteenth And Nineteenth Centuries, And Which Continues To Have Implications For Contemporary Debates.--jacket. 1. Introduction: From Passions And Affections To Emotions -- 2. Passions And Affections In Augustine And Aquinas -- 3. From Movements To Mechanisms: Passions, Sentiments And Affections In The Age Of Reason -- 4. The Scottish Creation Of 'the Emotions': David Hume, Thomas Brown, Thomas Chalmers -- 5. The Physicalist Appropriation Of Brownian Emotions: Alexander Bain, Herbert Spencer, Charles Darwin -- 6. Christian And Theistic Responses To The Physicalist Emotions Paradigm -- 7. What Was An Emotion In 1884? William James And His Critics -- 8. Conclusions: How History Can Help Us Think About 'the Emotions. Thomas Dixon. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 252-278) And Index. Today there is a thriving "emotions industry" to which philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists are contributing. Yet until two centuries ago "the emotions" did not exist. In this path-breaking study Thomas Dixon shows how, during the nineteenth century, the emotions came into being as a distinct psychological category, replacing existing categories such as appetites, passions, sentiments and affections. By examining medieval and eighteenth-century theological psychologies and placing Charles Darwin and William James within a broader and more complex nineteenth-century setting, Thomas Dixon argues that this domination by one single descriptive category is not healthy. The over-inclusivity of "the emotions" has hampered attempts to argue with any subtlety about the enormous range of mental states and stances of which humans are capable. This book is an important contribution to the debate about emotion and rationality which has preoccupied Western thinkers throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and has implications for contemporary debates. - Back cover. Until two centuries ago "the emotions" did not exist. Thomas Dixon reveals in this study how emotions came into being as a distinct psychological category. They replaced such concepts as appetites, passions, sentiments and affections, which had preoccupied thinkers as diverse as Augustine, Aquinas, Hume, and Darwin. The book is a significant original contribution to the debate which has preoccupied western thinkers across many disciplines in recent decades. This book is a major contribution to the debate about reason and emotion. It is very broad-ranging, of interest across many different disciplines. This book is revisionist, original and fluently articulated. - Publisher Thomas Dixon shows how, during the nineteenth century, the emotions came into being as a distinct psychological category, displacing such concepts as appetites, passions, sentiments and affections. From Passions to Emotions is a significant contribution to that ongoing debate about emotion and rationality which has preoccupied thinkers across many disciplines

a Significant And Original Contribution To The Ongoing Debate About Emotion And Rationality.