Passions: Philosophy and the Intelligence of Emotions

Course Overview

A distinguished philosopher and author takes you on a tour of his more than three-decade-long intellectual struggle to reach an understanding of emotions: “the key to the meaning of life.” Far from being routine, emotions are seen as the key to the meaning of life, argues esteemed philosopher Robert C. Solomon. In these 24 lectures, he explores complex phenomena, challenging conventional wisdom that emotions are inferior and disruptive.

Course Structure

1. Emotions as Engagements with the World

Professor Robert C. Solomon begins by reviewing the rich history of thinking about emotions. He introduces major themes, including Sartre’s idea that emotions are “magical transformations of the world.”

Duration: 32 min

2. The Wrath of Achilles

This lecture explores anger, typified by the wrath of Achilles in Homer’s Iliad. Anger is seen as dangerous but can also be justified and even obligatory.

Duration: 31 min

3. It’s Good to Be Afraid

Fear is discussed as a crucial emotion that helps us avoid dangers. This lecture dives into the paradox of why people seek fearful experiences.

Duration: 33 min

4. Lessons of Love – Plato’s Symposium

Exploring the emotion of love, this lecture focuses on Plato’s classic dialogue, which illustrates how love reshapes personal identities.

Duration: 34 min

5. We Are Not Alone – Compassion and Empathy

Philosophers like Hume and Adam Smith discuss sympathy as a natural moral sentiment, forming the basis of ethics and compassion.

Duration: 34 min

6. Noble? or Deadly Sin? Pride and Shame

This lecture examines pride and shame as social self-evaluation emotions, evolving with moral and political changes.

Duration: 30 min

7. Nasty – Iago’s Envy, Othello’s Jealousy

Envy and jealousy as double-edged emotions are explored through Shakespeare’s Othello, highlighting their destructive nature.

Duration: 31 min

8. Nastier – Resentment and Vengeance

Resentment is categorized as a troubling emotion linked to vengeance, highlighting its chilling expressions.

Duration: 31 min

9. A Death in the Family – The Logic of Grief

Grief is redefined as a continuation of love, a period of reflection and self-reconstruction rather than a breakdown of rational behavior.

Duration: 31 min

10. James and the Bear – Emotions and Feelings

This lecture challenges the view that emotions are merely feelings, emphasizing our responsibility for them.

Duration: 31 min

11. Freud’s Catharsis – The Hydraulic Model

Professor Solomon critiques Freud’s hydraulic model as inadequate for understanding emotions, which are not merely mechanical.

Duration: 29 min

12. Are Emotions “in” the Mind?

The lecture contrasts Cartesian views of the mind with phenomenological perspectives about the nature of emotions.

Duration: 31 min

13. How Emotions Are Intelligent

Emotions are discussed as intelligent strategies for navigating interpersonal dynamics, providing insight into our environments.

Duration: 31 min

14. Emotions as Judgments

Understanding emotions involves dissecting the judgments that shape them, using various emotions as case studies.

Duration: 31 min

15. Beyond Boohoo and Hooray

This lecture questions simplistic classifications of emotions, advocating for a richer understanding of emotional intelligence.

Duration: 31 min

16. Emotions Are Rational

The rational aspect of emotions is explored, suggesting that they can help us achieve our desires and needs.

Duration: 31 min

17. Emotions and Responsibility

This lecture emphasizes that emotions are partly our choice and explores the balance of control in emotions like anger and love.

Duration: 32 min

18. Emotions in Ethics

Surveying ethics from Aristotle to emotivism, this lecture illuminates the historical relationship between emotions and moral philosophy.

Duration: 33 min

19. Emotions and the Self

The connection between emotions and self-identity is examined, highlighting how emotions reflect our well-being.

Duration: 31 min

20. What Is Emotional Experience?

This lecture analyzes emotional experiences beyond physiological symptoms, exploring various components of emotional life.

Duration: 32 min

21. Emotions across Cultures – Universals

The similarities and biological bases of emotions across cultures are investigated, revealing universal patterns.

Duration: 31 min

22. Emotions across Cultures – Differences

This lecture discusses unique emotional expressions in different cultures, like amae in Japan and fago in Ifaluk.

Duration: 30 min

23. Laughter and Music

Exploring laughter and music as emotional expressions, this lecture highlights how each conveys and evokes emotional states.

Duration: 28 min

24. Happiness and Spirituality

In the concluding lecture, a synthesis is made of how emotions and rationality work together to cultivate human happiness and spirituality.

Duration: 32 min