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Are Emotions Natural Kinds?
1Boston College barretli@bc.edu.
Summary
Common emotions like anger and sadness are not distinct natural kinds with unique brain patterns. Emerging evidence challenges the traditional view of emotions as objectively identifiable categories, suggesting a need for new scientific approaches.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The traditional scientific study of emotion assumes emotions are natural kinds.
- This view posits that emotions like anger or sadness have distinct brain mechanisms and observable properties.
- This assumption underpins the possibility of objective emotion discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review empirical evidence challenging the natural-kind view of emotion.
- To explore the implications of moving beyond the natural-kind framework for emotion science.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of accumulating empirical evidence.
- Critical analysis of the natural-kind hypothesis in emotion research.
Main Results:
- Empirical evidence is inconsistent with emotions being natural kinds with inherent boundaries.
- The assumption of discrete, natural-kind emotions is increasingly challenged by scientific findings.
Conclusions:
- The natural-kind view of emotion may not accurately reflect reality.
- Rethinking emotion as non-natural kinds is crucial for advancing the scientific understanding of emotion.
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