Are emotions rational or irrational philosophy?

In the first example the anger is irrational because it is based on a false belief about the situation; in the second it is irrational because it involves an unjust or unfair evaluation. In yet another sense, emotions can be rational insofar as they are functional.

Are emotions rational?

The study of emotion raises a third type of rationality. Certain types of behaviors and actions are “rational” not because of they are logically consistent or serve the person’s self-interest but because they fulfill broader societal goals, meet higher moral standards, or serve greater evolutionary purposes.

What did Plato say about emotions?

The same idea of a felt quality is also applied to emotions. In the Philebus, Plato remarks that emotions typically include both pleasant and unpleasant aspects (b). Emotions mentioned in this context are anger, fear, longing, lamentation, love, jealousy, and envy (47d–50d).

Do emotions make us irrational?

Summary: Irrational behavior arises as a consequence of emotional reactions evoked when faced with difficult decisions, according to new research at UCL (University College London), funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Is emotion a natural kind?

1 That is, they are natural kinds, or phenomena that exist independent of our perception of them. Each emotion is thought to produce coordinated changes in sensory, perceptual, motor, and physiological functions that, when measured, provide evidence of that emotion’s existence.

Do emotion make us irrational?

Irrational behavior arises as a consequence of emotional reactions evoked when faced with difficult decisions, according to new research at UCL (University College London), funded by the Wellcome Trust.

What does Aquinas say about emotions?

Aquinas classifies (1) love, (2) desire and (3) pleasure or joy as the three self-regarding concupiscible emotions with respect to the sense-good; the contrary movements with respect to sense-evil are (4) hate, (5) aversion and (6) pain or distress.

What are non rational emotions?

‘Irrational’ or ‘recalcitrant’ emotions are those emotions that are in tension with our evaluative judgements. For example, you fear flying despite judging it to be safe, you are angry at your colleague even though you know her remarks were inoffensive, and so on.

What is irrational behavior in psychology?

Irrational behaviors of individuals include taking offense or becoming angry about a situation that has not yet occurred, expressing emotions exaggeratedly (such as crying hysterically), maintaining unrealistic expectations, engaging in irresponsible conduct such as problem intoxication, disorganization, and falling …

Are emotion and rationality the opposite of each other?

For philosophers such as Plato (c. 428– c. 348 bce) and David Hume (1711–76), who conceived of emotion and rationality as conflicting opposites, such a question was inappropriate from the start. But behaviour and thoughts can be rational or irrational, and culture imposes its own standards of rationality.

Can an emotion be rational or irrational?

An emotion can also be rational or irrational in two more specific senses: (1) it can be more or less accurate in the perception or understanding of the situation it involves; and (2) it can be more or less warranted in its evaluation of the situation.

Who were the great philosophers of emotion?

The great classical philosophers—Plato, Aristotle, Spinoza, Descartes, Hobbes, Hume, Locke—all understood emotions to involve feelings understood as primitives without component parts.

What is the role of Philosophy in understanding human emotions?

The former often have as their primary target making sense of the human experience of emotions and sometimes to contribute to other projects in philosophy, such as explaining the origins of rational action or moral judgment, or shedding light on what makes life worth living, or investigating the nature of self-knowledge.