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2 - Aristotelian Feelings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2021

Paula Gottlieb
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
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Summary

This chapter concerns the Aristotelian Feelings. Aristotle provides a list of the feelings in Nicomachean Ethics II 5, but he fails to give any analysis of their inner workings. For that we need to turn to Aristotle’s Rhetoric II 1-11 and passages from his de Anima. While it is a controversial matter to appeal to texts outside the Nicomachean Ethics, I argue that it is possible to draw important lessons from these texts for the interpretation of the Ethics while keeping sight of the major differences between the scope and often of the content of these different works. Two important features of the feelings that emerge from such an examination are: (1) that the feelings provide indexical insight – information about the immediate context of choice and action; and (2) that the feelings, while motivational, only get their direction from a person’s character and the particular circumstances that person is in. For example, sympathy (eleos) may motivate one to help someone in need if one is a good person, or it may motivate one to turn away, if one is a bad person.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Aristotelian Feelings
  • Paula Gottlieb, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Book: Aristotle on Thought and Feeling
  • Online publication: 08 January 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107323544.003
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  • Aristotelian Feelings
  • Paula Gottlieb, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Book: Aristotle on Thought and Feeling
  • Online publication: 08 January 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107323544.003
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Aristotelian Feelings
  • Paula Gottlieb, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Book: Aristotle on Thought and Feeling
  • Online publication: 08 January 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107323544.003
Available formats
×