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In the Mood: Why Vibes Matter in Reading and Writing Philosophy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2023

Helen De Cruz
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Abstract

Philosophers often write in a particular mood; their work is playful, strident, strenuous, or nostalgic. On the face of it, these moods contribute little to a philosophical argument and are merely incidental. However, I will argue that the cognitive science of moods and emotions offers us reasons to suspect that mood is relevant for philosophical texts. I use examples from Friedrich Nietzsche and Rudolph Carnap to illustrate the role moods play in their arguments. As readers and writers of philosophical texts, we do well to attend to mood.

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Paper
Information
Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements , Volume 93: Expanding Horizons , May 2023 , pp. 171 - 191
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy and the contributors 2023

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