Understanding the Emotional Life

The human heart is, in many ways, an indecipherable enigma. The opposition of reason and passion has long prevented us from recognizing emotions and feelings as legitimate sources of knowledge. This book takes a deep dive into the rich phenomenology of affect, with a view to uncovering its essence and variety of forms: the experience of being “invaded” by an emotion is different to that of being “immersed” in a mood, just as being “guided” by a feeling does not mean being “swept away” by a passionate impulse. Hence the need for a systematic phenomenology of emotionality that can help us to appreciate such distinctions. The philosophical and pedagogical trajectory outlined in these pages provides education and healthcare practitioners – and indeed all those willing to improve their self-knowledge – with the key to a deeper understanding of the emotional life and its meaning for our existence.