Rodrigo Diaz is the author of the chapter “Experimental Philosophy of Emotion: Emotion Theory” in the newly published Compact Compendium of Experimental Philosophy (De Gruyter, 2024), co-edited by Alexander Max Bauer and Stephan Kornmesser.

Abstract

Are emotions bodily feelings or evaluative cognitions? What is happiness, pain, or “being moved”? Are there basic emotions? In this chapter, I review extant empirical work concerning these and related questions in the philosophy of emotion. This will include both (1) studies investigating people’s emotional experiences and (2) studies investigating people’s use of emotion concepts in hypothetical cases. Overall, this review will show the potential of using empirical research methods to inform philosophical questions regarding emotion.