Nozick's Chapter On Emotions

Superior Essays
Chapter 9: Emotions
Nozick’s first words on his chapter on Emotions are as follows: A large part of how we feel about life is shaped by the emotions we have had and expect to have and that feeling too (probably) is an emotion or a combination of them,” (Nozick, pg. 87).
From this Chapter, we were give three conclusions, but for this essay I will only focus on two.
Conclusion 2: Emotions are not just feelings
Conclusion 3: Human beings are better off with emotions than if they were lacking emotion, like Spock.
I will select specific premises from Chapter 9 that will support the conclusions stated above.
Conclusion 1: Emotions are not just feelings
Specific premises that support Conclusion 1:
In paragraph one of chapter 9, Nozick’s gives an
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When the belief is true, and the assessment of the situation is correct, and the feeling that goes along is equal to the assessment, then you have an emotion. According to Nozick, labeling what you’re feeling as either an emotion or just a feeling requires the following structure; “emotion fits when it has the above threefold structure of belief, evaluation, and feeling, and moreover when the belief is true, the evaluation is correct, and the feeling is proportionate to the evaluation,” (Nozick, pg. 89). In this chapter, Nozick gives us an example of when a person finds money on the ground and the evaluation of the situation that gives rise to either feelings or emotions. When you find money on the ground, it is normal to feel happy. It would not make sense to weep for joy because you found money. The intensity of the feeling has to be proportionate to the …show more content…
Emotions might amplify pleasures and help to recall them more easily during pleasure less times, etc., so that might be more difficult for a life without emotions to be very pleasurable, but I do not think the story in this simple. Rather, a life without emotions would be the poor,” (Nozick, pg 91).
Empathy is our ability to understand what another person is going through. Our empathy towards others would be hindered because we would be lacking emotion. We would not be able to relate with others and their experiences. It is better to have a life with negative and positive emotions, than not at all. If we had a life without emotions or feelings, we would miss out what has worth and is of value. If we lacked emotion, and looked back at a memory we would not feel anything. That memory would hold no value because we do not have an emotion to relate or look back to.
“Emotions also can link us closely to external value. When we positively evaluate a situation or fact, an emotional response links us more closely to the value we perceive than an unemotional evaluative judgment would,” (Nozick, pg.

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