The Rationality of Emotion (Bradford Books)
Granting that some things we call emotions, e.g., moods, are subjective, de Sousa contends that emotions typically intend aspects of the objective world and can be rationally appraised. He alleges that we standardly learn the vocabulary of emotion by associating emotion-names with paradigm scenarios of early life that subsequent cultural experience reinforces. Thereafter, emotional objectivity arises in terms of the similarities between an emotion's new target-situation and its paradigm scenario. He works out his theory in considerable detail and with commendable clarity. Highly recommended for college philosophy collections. Robert Hoffman, York Coll., CUNYCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.