Description
Book SynopsisMichael S. Brady presents a fresh perspective on how to understand the difference that emotions can make to our lives. It is a commonplace that emotions can give us information about the world: we are told, for instance, that sometimes it is a good idea to ''listen to our heart'' when trying to figure out what to believe. In particular, many people think that emotions can give us information about value: fear can inform us about danger, guilt about moral wrongs, pride about achievement.But how are we to understand the positive contribution that emotions can make to our beliefs in general, and to our beliefs about value in particular? And what are the conditions in which emotions make such a contribution? Emotional Insight aims to answer these questions. In doing so it illuminates a central tenet of common-sense thinking, contributes to an on-going debate in the philosophy of emotion, and illustrates something important about the nature of emotion itself. For a central claim of the book
Trade ReviewWhat makes this book so important and timely is its penetrating critique of a popular, attractive idea that emotions are normatively similar to perceptual experience in virtue of being psychologically similar to them. The rich and compelling positive picture emerging from the critique merits serious attention in its own right. * Michael Milona, Ethics *
Impressive ... The author's patient approach to criticism, unwavering clarity, and plain old philosophical good sense make the book an unparalleled entry to debates about emotions and knowledge. * John M. Monteleone, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *
Emotional Insight presents an interesting and persuasive thesis about the epistemic value of emotion ... The book should be of interest not only to epistemologists and philosophers of mind, but also to anyone interested in the role of emotion in ethics, aesthetics and political philosophy. * Carolyn Price, Mind *
[Emotional Insight] is unquestionably required reading for anyone currently working in the philosophy of emotions. As that field continues to grow, so too will the audience for this important work. * S. A. Howard, The Philosophical Quarterly. *
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Towards the Perceptual Model 2: The Perceptual Model 3: Against the Perceptual Model 4: Emotion and Understanding 5: Emotion, Attention, and Virtue Bibliography
