What Emotions Really Are: The Problem of Psychological Categories (Volume 1997) (Science and Its Conceptual Foundations series)

In this provocative contribution to the philosophy of science and mind, Paul E. Griffiths criticizes contemporary philosophy and psychology of emotion for failing to take in an evolutionary perspective and address current work in neurobiology and cognitive science. Reviewing the three current models of emotion, Griffiths points out their deficiencies and constructs a basis for future models that pay equal attention to biological fact and conceptual rigor. "Griffiths has written a work of depth and clarity in an area of murky ambiguity, producing a much-needed standard at the border of science, philosophy, and psychology. . . . As he presents his case, offering a forthright critique of past and present theories, Griffiths touches on such issues as evolution, social construction, natural kinds (categories corresponding with real distinctions in nature), cognition, and moods. While addressing specialists, the book will reward general readers who apply themselves to its remarkably accessible style."— Library Journal " What Emotions Really Are makes a strong claim to be one of the best books to have emerged on the subject of human emotion."—Ray Dolan, Nature Robert C. Solomon Perhaps the best and most persuasive book on this perspective on emotions. -- Philadelphia Enquirer cover......Page 1 Local Disk......Page 0 page_i......Page 2 a9bd3a5ada82298c156b854bdb6bfb25......Page 3 page_ii......Page 4 page_iii......Page 5 a2f2ec89bae95713a0f9b9bb3731271f......Page 6 b06dbd9bb8b4c2176bfb71086b3f262f......Page 7 page_iv......Page 8 page_v......Page 9 page_vii......Page 10 page_ix......Page 11 page_1......Page 12 page_xi......Page 13 page_2......Page 14 page_3......Page 15 page_4......Page 16 page_5......Page 17 page_6......Page 18 page_7......Page 19 page_8......Page 20 page_9......Page 21 page_10......Page 22 page_11......Page 23 page_12......Page 24 page_13......Page 25 page_14......Page 26 page_15......Page 27 page_16......Page 28 page_17......Page 29 page_19......Page 30 page_21......Page 31 page_22......Page 32 page_23......Page 33 page_24......Page 34 page_25......Page 35 page_26......Page 36 page_27......Page 37 page_28......Page 38 page_29......Page 39 page_30......Page 40 page_31......Page 41 page_32......Page 42 page_33......Page 43 page_34......Page 44 page_35......Page 45 page_36......Page 46 page_37......Page 47 page_38......Page 48 page_39......Page 49 page_40......Page 50 page_41......Page 51 page_42......Page 52 page_43......Page 53 page_44......Page 54 page_45......Page 55 page_46......Page 56 107ed5c7eb04e46a233460e3279d4318......Page 57 73919ea3b1e169bc939fe0735e51fb63......Page 58 85e039f14f08e7dfe3fc2d8800f9414a......Page 59 a8a427291137a711197ef4c0ccd79e30......Page 60 bb66c738f77e1d7ce58b1b2c176e1e7f......Page 61 e74b9d39666406e1205869684bf75bd7......Page 62 page_47......Page 63 page_48......Page 65 page_49......Page 66 page_50......Page 67 page_51......Page 68 5ac68a3f3fb2c7135b4252f8e604fd95......Page 69 856041497c04839271142369cd021215......Page 70 902118f72dd77cb0626fd9671eb5da53......Page 71 9b535d05ffc22fc0c5d718d8e01f5d71......Page 72 be17f2253bb79ff57ba45d64682c7ca3......Page 73 d0d7b815c50f9c98c87e32f31afa7b52......Page 74 page_52......Page 75 page_53......Page 77 page_54......Page 78 page_55......Page 79 page_56......Page 80 page_57......Page 81 page_58......Page 82 page_59......Page 83 page_60......Page 84 page_61......Page 85 page_62......Page 86 page_63......Page 87 page_64......Page 88 page_65......Page 89 page_66......Page 90 page_67......Page 91 page_68......Page 92 page_69......Page 93 page_70......Page 94 page_71......Page 95 page_72......Page 96 page_73......Page 97 page_74......Page 98 page_75......Page 99 244487463f028d29e98cca80b27750a9......Page 100 page_76......Page 101 page_77......Page 102 page_78......Page 103 page_79......Page 104 page_80......Page 105 page_81......Page 106 page_82......Page 107 page_83......Page 108 page_84......Page 109 page_85......Page 110 page_86......Page 111 page_87......Page 112 page_88......Page 113 page_89......Page 114 page_90......Page 115 page_91......Page 116 page_92......Page 117 page_93......Page 118 page_94......Page 119 page_95......Page 120 page_96......Page 121 page_97......Page 122 page_98......Page 123 page_99......Page 124 page_100......Page 125 page_101......Page 126 page_102......Page 127 page_103......Page 128 page_104......Page 129 page_105......Page 130 page_106......Page 131 page_107......Page 132 page_108......Page 133 page_109......Page 134 page_110......Page 135 page_111......Page 136 page_112......Page 137 page_113......Page 138 page_114......Page 139 page_115......Page 140 page_116......Page 141 page_117......Page 142 page_118......Page 143 page_119......Page 144 page_120......Page 145 page_121......Page 146 page_122......Page 147 page_123......Page 148 page_124......Page 149 page_125......Page 150 page_126......Page 151 page_127......Page 152 af230df2a86789e9d46577e396a1472f......Page 153 page_128......Page 154 page_129......Page 155 page_130......Page 156 page_131......Page 157 page_132......Page 158 93443df3524c261b3ad4de180bbd51c7......Page 159 page_133......Page 160 page_134......Page 161 page_135......Page 162 page_136......Page 163 page_137......Page 164 page_138......Page 165 page_139......Page 166 page_140......Page 167 page_141......Page 168 page_142......Page 169 page_143......Page 170 page_144......Page 171 page_145......Page 172 page_146......Page 173 page_147......Page 174 page_148......Page 175 page_149......Page 176 page_150......Page 177 page_151......Page 178 page_152......Page 179 page_153......Page 180 page_154......Page 181 page_155......Page 182 page_156......Page 183 page_157......Page 184 page_158......Page 185 page_159......Page 186 page_160......Page 187 page_161......Page 188 page_162......Page 189 page_163......Page 190 page_164......Page 191 page_165......Page 192 page_166......Page 193 page_167......Page 194 page_169......Page 195 page_171......Page 196 page_172......Page 197 page_173......Page 198 page_174......Page 199 page_175......Page 200 page_176......Page 201 page_177......Page 202 page_178......Page 203 page_179......Page 204 page_180......Page 205 page_181......Page 206 page_182......Page 207 page_183......Page 208 page_184......Page 209 0b8597dbf3cbbf34e27b9a6730d002ce......Page 210 page_185......Page 211 page_186......Page 212 page_187......Page 213 page_188......Page 214 page_189......Page 215 page_190......Page 216 page_191......Page 217 page_192......Page 218 page_193......Page 219 page_194......Page 220 page_195......Page 221 page_196......Page 222 page_197......Page 223 page_198......Page 224 page_199......Page 225 page_200......Page 226 page_201......Page 227 page_202......Page 228 page_203......Page 229 page_204......Page 230 page_205......Page 231 page_206......Page 232 page_207......Page 233 57fa01f729d1c3b6f52af99ff1ce6e0d......Page 234 page_208......Page 235 336edf84d619abc3917ed8abc1833d7f......Page 236 page_209......Page 237 page_210......Page 238 page_211......Page 239 page_212......Page 240 page_213......Page 241 page_214......Page 242 page_215......Page 243 page_216......Page 244 page_217......Page 245 page_218......Page 246 page_219......Page 247 page_220......Page 248 page_221......Page 249 page_222......Page 250 page_223......Page 251 page_224......Page 252 page_225......Page 253 page_226......Page 254 page_227......Page 255 page_228......Page 256 page_229......Page 257 page_230......Page 258 page_231......Page 259 page_232......Page 260 page_233......Page 261 page_234......Page 262 page_235......Page 263 page_236......Page 264 page_237......Page 265 page_238......Page 266 page_239......Page 267 page_240......Page 268 page_241......Page 269 page_242......Page 270 page_243......Page 271 page_244......Page 272 page_245......Page 273 page_246......Page 274 page_247......Page 275 page_248......Page 276 page_249......Page 277 page_250......Page 278 page_251......Page 279 page_252......Page 280 page_253......Page 281 page_254......Page 282 page_255......Page 283 page_256......Page 284 page_257......Page 285 page_259......Page 286 page_260......Page 287 page_261......Page 288 page_262......Page 289 page_263......Page 290 page_264......Page 291 page_265......Page 292 page_266......Page 293 page_267......Page 294 page_268......Page 295 page_269......Page 296 page_270......Page 297 page_271......Page 298 page_272......Page 299 page_273......Page 300 page_274......Page 301 page_275......Page 302 page_276......Page 303 page_277......Page 304 page_278......Page 307 page_279......Page 310 page_280......Page 314 page_281......Page 318 page_282......Page 321 page_283......Page 325 page_284......Page 329 page_285......Page 332 page_286......Page 336 ee575a02d145a885bb72facbd72d62fc......Page 340 Paul E. Griffiths argues that most research on the emotions has been as misguided as Aristotelian efforts to study "superlunary objects" -- objects outside the moon's orbit. Such objects exist, of course, but studying them as a group produces no useful results because they share no traits other than an arbitrarily defined location. Similarly, Griffiths shows that "emotion", as currently defined, groups together psychological states of very different, and thus not comparable, kinds.Some emotions, such as a brief flaring up of anger in response to some immediate experience, are evolutionarily ancient, reflex-like responses that appear insensitive to culture. Others, like moral guilt, differ importantly across cultures despite their long history in humans and affinities to behavior seen in other species. Still other emotions appear to be the acting out of today's psychological myths, just as ghost possession acted out the metaphysical myths of past centuries. These three kinds of responses have different evolutionary origins, different adaptive functions, different biological bases, and different roles in human psychology. The concept that groups them together -- emotion -- plays no useful role, because there is no object of scientific knowledge that corresponds to it.According to Griffiths, theoretical research on emotions took a wrong turn by not fully exploring the relevant empirical evidence. Griffiths provides a detailed overview of this material, drawing on ethology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and anthropology of the emotions. He identifies and assesses the relative merits of three main theoretical approaches -- affect program theory, evolutionarypsychology, and social constructionism."Paul Griffiths has written an exciting and important book that offers a bold new account of the emotions and a convincing critique of other views". -- Stephen Stich, Author of Deconstructing the Mind"This is the best book on the emotions that exists.... The emotions are a domain where evolution matters. Until now we have had little by philosophers that explains why and how it matters". -- Owen Flanagan, Author of Self Expressions: Mind, Morals, and the Meaning of Life In this provocative contribution to the philosophy of science and mind, Paul E. Griffiths criticizes contemporary philosophy and psychology of emotion for failing to take in an evolutionary perspective and address current work in neurobiology and cognitive science. Reviewing the three current models of emotion, Griffiths points out their deficiencies and constructs a basis for future models that pay equal attention to biological fact and conceptual rigor. "Griffiths has written a work of depth and clarity in an area of murky ambiguity, producing a much-needed standard at the border of science, philosophy, and psychology. . . . As he presents his case, offering a forthright critique of past and present theories, Griffiths touches on such issues as evolution, social construction, natural kinds (categories corresponding with real distinctions in nature), cognition, and moods. While addressing specialists, the book will reward general readers who apply themselves to its remarkably accessible style." Library Journal " What Emotions Really Are makes a strong claim to be one of the best books to have emerged on the subject of human emotion."Ray Dolan, Nature Paul E. Griffiths argues that most research on the emotions has been as misguided as Aristotelian efforts to study "superlunary objects" - objects outside the moon's orbit. Such subjects exist, of course, but studying them as a group produces no useful results because they share no traits other than an arbitrarily defined location. Similarly, Griffiths show that "emotion", as currently defined, groups together psychological states of very different, and thus not comparable, kinds. According to Griffiths, theoretical research on emotions took a wrong turn by not fully exploring the relevant empirical evidence. Griffiths provides a detailed overview of this material, drawing on ethology, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and anthropology of the emotions. He identifies and assesses the relative merits of three main theoretical approaches - affect program theory, evolutionary psychology, and social constructionism. The aim of this book is to bring to the philosophy of emotion the insights of the last thirty years in the philosophy of mind and philosophy of language-insights that have been studiously ignored by specialists in the field.