Andrea Scarantino, "Emotion Theory: The Routledge Comprehensive Guide" (Routledge, 2024)
Dec 10, 2024
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Andrea Scarantino, a Professor of Philosophy at Georgia State University, leads a thought-provoking discussion on the complexities of emotion theory. He delves into the historical and contemporary frameworks surrounding emotions, sharing insights from a vast collection of scholars from diverse fields. Key topics include the cultural nuances of emotions like 'amai' and 'saudade,' the challenges in defining clinical depression, and the interplay between philosophy and emotional understanding. Scarantino advocates for an integrated approach, highlighting emotions' pivotal role in human behavior.
The edited collection 'Emotion Theory: The Routledge Comprehensive Guide' unites insights from 101 theorists across various disciplines to define emotions comprehensively.
Andrea Scarantino's personal journey in philosophy underscores the challenges of communication and understanding in the evolving study of emotions.
The meticulously organized volumes provide a historical context and a contemporary framework for future research on distinct emotions and their functions.
Deep dives
Importance of Emotion Theory
The edited collection titled 'Emotion Theory, The Routledge Comprehensive Guide' brings together a vast range of perspectives from 101 leading theorists across multiple disciplines. This work addresses the foundational question of what constitutes an emotion, highlighting the contentious nature of the field. The compilation includes contributions from philosophy, psychology, biology, sociology, and neuroscience, providing a comprehensive overview of the history and contemporary theories of emotions. By integrating diverse viewpoints, the collection aims to create a more unified understanding of emotions and their complexity.
The Journey of the Editor
Andrea Scarantino shares his personal journey into the field of philosophy, stemming from an early skepticism about knowledge. His interest led him to pursue a career in philosophy, despite initial resistance from his parents to his aspirations. After a challenging path through economics, military service, and various academic programs, he finally found a home in the philosophy of emotions. This shaped his vision for the edited collection, born from a desire to provide students and researchers with an organized framework for the study of emotions based on the knowledge and resources he wished he had at the start of his journey.
Structure of the Edited Volumes
The two-volume collection is meticulously organized to offer a thorough examination of emotions through historical context and contemporary theories. Volume one traces the history of emotion theory over 25 centuries, starting from ancient Greece to pivotal theories that emerged in the 1950s, such as basic emotion theory and appraisal theory. Volume two breaks down 35 distinct emotions, providing insights from multiple authors on their definitions, manifestations, and functions. This dual approach not only documents the evolution of emotional understanding but also serves as a reference for future research in emotion theory.
Challenges in Interdisciplinary Communication
One of the significant challenges highlighted in the podcast is the difficulty of effective communication across different disciplines studying emotions. Scarantino emphasizes that translating concepts between fields such as neuroscience, philosophy, and psychology can lead to misunderstandings and hinder collaboration. His goal with the edited volumes was to create a common language that facilitates clearer dialogue among researchers from diverse backgrounds. This effort aims to overcome the jargon and technical complexities that often alienate theorists from different domains.
Future Directions in Emotion Research
Moving forward, Scarantino plans to focus on developing his own emotion theory and exploring the communicative aspects of emotional expressions. He aims to delve into how emotions serve as tools for motivation and understanding human interactions. His interest in affective pragmatics positions emotional expressions as sophisticated communicative acts that not only convey feelings but also make social demands. By advancing these ideas, Scarantino hopes to contribute to a richer understanding of emotions' roles across various fields of inquiry.
This interview is an exception to our “single author monographs” rule, because the edited collection that is its topic is an intellectual achievement worth making an exception for in over 12 years of New Books in Philosophy podcasts. Emotion Theory: The Routledge Comprehensive Guide: Volume I and Volume II (Routledge, 2024) is a two-volume compendium of 62 chapters on emotion theory written by 101 leading theorists from philosophy, psychology, biology, sociology, neuroscience, and other fields, all grappling with the question: What is an emotion? Editor Andrea Scarantino, who is a professor of philosophy at George State University, has compiled a synoptic and thematically organized collection that covers the history of emotion theory, the main contemporary theories of emotions, individual chapters on 35 distinct emotions, and more. The volumes bring together theorists from distinct disciplines that don’t normally engage with each others’ work, and provide readers with a one-stop-shop for clearly written introductions to the current states of play in emotion research.
Andrea Scarantino is Professor of Philosophy at Georgia State University, where he has taught since 2005.
Carrie Figdor is professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa.