Drawing on recent work in the theory of emotion, this book concerns what is involved in the adequacy of emotions, which, it is argued, amounts to more than feeling good. The book analyses a series of ways in which emotions, and the emotional life, can be well-formed or not. Some of these amount to properties emotions can have (e.g. depth) which variously enhance or detract from them. Others are attitudes with characteristic emotional loadings and effects (e.g. cynicism and sophistication), and both are affected by culture. The study even of elusive lapses in the integrity of emotions matter, i ... More

Drawing on recent work in the theory of emotion, this book concerns what is involved in the adequacy of emotions, which, it is argued, amounts to more than feeling good. The book analyses a series of ways in which emotions, and the emotional life, can be well-formed or not. Some of these amount to properties emotions can have (e.g. depth) which variously enhance or detract from them. Others are attitudes with characteristic emotional loadings and effects (e.g. cynicism and sophistication), and both are affected by culture. The study even of elusive lapses in the integrity of emotions matter, it is held, for their costs are themselves emotional.