Powerful Emotions

“This is what we know now and we are reasonably certain that we’re right. However, as we gather more information or learn new ways to interpret these phenomena, things could change and so it’s best not to become to attached to our theories.”(Unknown)

When in 1884, William James asked his famous question “What is an emotion?”, he implied that the answer was not obvious. Almost 150 years later, in the year 2001, his implication is still valid, because scientists still did not agree on a clear definition to emotions. This essay will not try to come up with a clear and correct definition of what an emotion is, however it will give a most general definition, but discuss, or at least try to do so, whether emotions are biologically or socially determined.

Emotion, as it is defined in a Dictionary of Psychology, is “an umbrella term for any of a number of subjectively experienced, affect-laden states, the ontological status of each being established by a label whose meaning is arrived at by simple consensus. It is what we mean when we say that love, fear, anger, hope are emotions”. (Reber, 1995) However the most agreed def

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Social Constructivist, Source Oatley, Izard Ekman, Source Drawing, William James, Dictionary Psychology, Charles Darwin, Expression Motor, Sigmund Freud, Darwinian Jamesian, determination emotions, emotions social, biological determination, biological determination emotions, suggested emotions, dead body, claims emotions, cognitive perspective, socially determined, determination emotions claims, theory emotions, facial expression, emotions claims emotions, social constructivist perspective, limbic association cortex,
Approximate Word count = 1584
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)