On the Emotions (Ernst Cassirer Lectures) [Hardcover]

Professor Richard Wollheim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 1999 | Series: Ernst Cassirer Lectures (Book 1991)

Distinguished philosopher Richard Wollheim's rich and thought-provoking account of the emotions considers what emotions are, how they arise in our lives, and how standard and "moral" emotions differ. Drawing on insights from literature, psychoanalysis, and philosophy, Wollheim argues that emotions form a distinct psychological category, not to be assimilated with either beliefs or desires.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Wollheim (philosophy, Berkeley) here expands upon a series of lectures he delivered several years ago, giving this published version new substance and depth. Positing his exploration of emotions to be an exercise in applied moral philosophy, Wollheim presents and critiques the veracity of several theories about emotions as factic entities. In the first lecture, he considers theories proposed by phenomenology, by Gilbert Ryle, and by William James and Sigmund Freud, concluding that the originating condition of emotion is desire. In the next lecture, he presents the history of an emotion from its origin, addressing Sartrean and Kleinian considerations, to the point of the persistent emotion's manifestation and the problematic association of feeling with emotion. In the final lecture, the "moral" emotions (shame, guilt, remorse, and regret) are presented as additional ways in which the individual orients himself or herself in life. Wollheim concludes that human interaction engendered by emotion and the emotion that interaction engenders, engages, and satisfies are mutually sustaining. Specialists will find this book provocative and engaging.AFrancisca Goldsmith, Berkeley P.L., CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (November 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300079745
• ISBN-13: 978-0300079746
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,220,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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