The Self and the Emotions

Abstract

There is no unowned fear, happiness, or grief — these and their brethren always belong to someone. Apparently, then, to get clear on the meaning of first-person emotion utterances like ‘I am afraid’ or ‘I am angry,’ we must consider both components; on one hand the fear, anger, and so on, and on the other the I that is afraid, or angry, or the like. In addition it seems plausible that light cast on either of the two — self or emotion — will provide a better understanding of the other. Thus the question, ‘So what do we learn about the emotions when we settle on a viable account of the I that has them?’ And conversely, what do we learn about the self given a correct interpretation of the emotions. This chapter is an attempt to answer those questions. Insight into what the I is allows us to see aspects of the emotions we might otherwise miss. What surprised me was the reverse: clarity about the emotions leads to a better grasp of the I.