Sherman, Nancy. Taking Responsibility for our Emotions
1999, Social Philosophy and Policy 16(2): 294.
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Added by: John BaldariAbstract: We often hold people morally responsible for their emotions. We praise individuals for their compassion, think less of them for their ingratitude or hatred, reproach self-righteousness and unjust anger. In the cases I have in mind, the ascriptions of responsibility are not simply for offensive behaviors or actions which may accompany the emotions, but for the emotions themselves as motives or states of mind. We praise and blame people for what they feel and not just for how they act. In cases where people may subtly mask their hatred or ingratitude through more kindly actions, we still may find fault with the attitude we see leaking through the disguise.Comment: Use this text as a recommended reading to compliment the earlier work on The Fabric of Character.
Tappolet, Christine. Emotion, Motivation and Action: The Case of Fear
2009, The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Emotion
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Added by: Jimena ClavelAbstract:
This article starts with some general points about fear. After that, it spells out and discusses the thesis of motivational modularity. However, even though that thesis is plausible in cases of non-human fear, this is not so for human fear. This is why the article turns to the claim that fear comes with some specific desire instead. The last section discusses the thesis of motivational egoism. It argues that when we experience fear for someone else, the motivation involved is exactly as altruistic as when we feel compassion for that person.Comment: In this paper, Tappolet discusses some assumptions presupposed by some who resist a more enthusiastic conception on the rationality of emotions. She focuses mostly on fear, but goes through some general features of emotions. This chapter can be listed as recommended or secondary reading on sessions that discuss the motivational component of emotions or the rationality of emotions.
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