Emotions can be given a description of the basic items that are used to color every thought and action. They can be considered as key ingredients to our daily lives and are pivotal for the survival of human beings. Emotions have been studied throughout the history of philosophy. How people experience emotions and the functions that they have has been a central topic in existentialism. Largely, the role or place of emotions within philosophy has been one of suspicion as the role of philosophy is primary around rationale. If one is to bring forth emotions within philosophy, it is to subject them to rationale scrutiny. Blas Pascal (2018) noted that the heart could override, in some instances, what is quite rationale. F. H. Bradley (1999) thought that feelings were actually a source of the highest form of knowing. This paper analyzes the central role that emotions play in existentialism by examining the works of various others on existentialism.
Creating and Finding Meaning
Existentialism is a philosophical study that deals with the human subject It focuses on how the human being engages in thinking, feeling, acting, and living. The philosophy of existentialism was mainly influenced by Soren Kierkegaard who saw the development of the topic in the 20th century. Soren expounded existentialism by considering the meaning of life. Soren noted that human beings try to establish meaning in life. He developed a model of existentialism by observing three central ideas. The first idea that Soren observed was when relating with other men. He noted that the content of one’s ideas could be different but people usually have expected relationships that create meaning (Proulx, 2013).
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The second idea that Soren observed was that there are certain contradictions that usually exist in life. The contradictions usually cause significant challenges because people thus try to question the meaning of life. Soren observed that emotions arise when the expectations that one had in the meaning of life are not met. One emotion that Soren observed was that of anxiety. Camus (1995) specifically observed that emotions occur because they do not match with the meaning of the perceived meaning frameworks. Such emotions could be anxiety and angst.
The third idea that was observed by Solen was that meaninglessness can be used to affirm meaning. Solen noted that bad and negative emotions such as anxiety and angst are usually as a result of an experience of meaninglessness. People deal with emotions and can try to be okay by focusing on things that make sense. The observation follows that emotions play a central role in existentialism because it is used as a compass to find meaning (Proulx, 2013). Whenever one has emotions about the meaningless of life, one can repeat familiar behaviors and that will be used to try and find meaning.
Emotions in Phenomenology
Phenomenology, an inseparable part of existential philosophy, is not a philosophy of emotions but a means by which we can understand the emotions of the self. It is a process of getting down and understanding the individuals intimately personal unique emotional experience. It acknowledges that our feelings are a way by which one can reach philosophical truths. Phenomenology observes that one does not deal with the emotion in isolation. Instead, one has to partner it with the intellect in a mutual partnership.
The phenomenological aspect of emotions and existentialism was studied by Ratcliffe (2012). The term “existential feeling” is a word that was introduced by Ratcliffe (2012). Ratcliffe observed that existential feeling is a form of affective experience that established the relationship between emotions and existentialism. He created a two-part phenomenological analysis of existential feeling. He first noted that emotions can be a bodily feeling and they can also be an experience of some of the possibilities presented by the world. He observed that experience incorporates various kinds of possibility and is thus possible to explain how some things could look a lot similar but are essentially different.
Emotions in Enhancing Human Life Experiences
Emotions have a significant role in existentialism because they can be used to enhance human life experiences. John O’Donohue in talking about balance and creation quotes Leibniz in saying “The real mystery is not that things are the way they are, but that there is something rather than nothing” (O'Donohue, 2010). This sentence was subsequently used by both Heidegger and Scheler as inspiration for their philosophical work. The quote observed by Leibniz observes that there is a sense of immediacy and presence to the human experience in life.
Human life experiences can be enhanced by understanding that men are not just bodies going about living. Instead, men are beings that have an intimate and personal experience as they go about living. In our world that is becoming progressively virtual and disconnected, men usually forget the importance of every living experience. Some things that people experience in life have a profound effect on us while other things do not and men can be able to bounce back quite quickly from them. It is the emotional experiences in human life that can be used to enhance the meaning. Experiences that are usually associated with strong emotional associations are usually deeper and more meaningful.
The significance of emotions through a phenomenological approach to psychotherapy can be seen when relating to one’s values. Langle (2011) observed that emotions form the basic theory of values in the existential analysis. He defined values as the reason for preferring an action or one thing over another. Values are considered the ground of all decisions and therefore a significant aspect of human existence. On the other hand, emotions are used to create the values that different human beings have. Emotions can be used to detect the relevant values regarding one’s human experiences and thus simulate the life of an individual.
Such a view of emotions is similar to Soren’s philosophy of existentialism. Soren observed that existentialism as a process where human beings find coherence with met expectations and life has meaning (Proulx, 2013). He also observed that emotions occur when the expectations are unmet and life loses meaning. Langle (2011) adds to the view of Soren by indicating that emotions interact with values to create meaning in human experiences. Langle (2011) further observed that the relationship between emotions and values can thus lead to protective moments where one can rise above situational difficulties and experiences. Values interact with emotion to create coherence which was acknowledged by Soren as critical to a proper state of the mind. Emotions thus play a huge role in shaping personal values and adjusting how one perceives the world around them. Emotions are thus a critical element of existence because it forms as the basic anchor for the existence of the personal being.
The Absence of Emotions and Superficiality
The role that emotions have in enhancing human life can be understood when one considers the quality of life when emotions have been removed. Langle (2011) observed that when emotions do not have a rootedness in other dimensions of existence, it results in a superficial playing with sentimentality and one is not sincerely being touched by life but is simply suffering. The observation is that when people do not have emotions, one turns away from true life and will experience some of the various aspects of life with superficiality. Emotions are thus a way which human beings can have feelings and be touched inwardly is a daily life experience. Langle (2011) observes that some of the daily experiences of life such as simply going to a restaurant, concert, theatre, seeing a friend, going for a walk involve emotions as one of its central themes.
While Soren observed that emotions such as anxiety and angst lead to challenges in the state of the mind, Langle (2011) noted that it was the absence of emotions that disrupted the state of the mind. The absence of emotions by Langle (2011) can be further analyzed to mean the absence of positive emotions that motivate men to engage in various activities. When one engages in activities when they are filled with negative emotions such as anxiety and angst, one can hardly enjoy them and the entire experience becomes somewhat superficial. The view of Langle (2011) of the absence of emotions thus aligns with Soren’s view who indicated that emotions such as anxiety create challenges in the meaning of human experiences.
Emotions have an existential weight. Langle (2011) observed that the weight of emotions lies in the impact and attitude that one has towards life. Having good feelings makes living easier and it creates a circumstance where one easily accepts to be alive. Langle (2011) notes having good feelings make one have an inward yes to life and to have an inner consent to live. Positive emotions that are thus usually marked by good feelings can thus be used to facilitate the existential decision for life. The positive feelings and emotions can be compared to the positive feelings that Soren observes when there is coherence and meaning in life. Soren’s first stage observed that people usually have expected relationships that create meaning. Positive emotions occur when these expected relationships are met (Proulx, 2013).
On the other hand, Langle (2011) observed that bad and hurting feelings make the decision for life become somewhat difficult. This can be used to provide an understanding of people that are anxious, stressed, depressed, or suicidal. Negative emotions of hurt take away the existential meaning of life and make the decision to live become somewhat difficult. Soren also made similar observations by stating that emotions such as anxiety and angst occur when one’s expectations in life are not met (Proulx, 2013). Langle (2011) thus expanded the views of Soren by indicating the significance of positive and negative emotions in human experiences.
The impact of experiencing emotions and how it shapes the lives of different individuals were also studied by Kreber et al. (2007). The study analyzed the works by Heidegger who observed that emotions are a way to ensure one realizes their authentic being. Heidegger (1996) distinguished between the authentic and inauthentic being. He noted that the authentic being allows itself the freedom to realize a wide range of emotions, thoughts, feelings, and actions that are infinite. On the side of the spectrum was the inauthentic being that makes use of coping strategies in order to defend the reality of existence. An individual operating from an inauthentic self will find it difficult to experience life in a rich and immersive manner. Most of the emotional experiences will thus come from a point of denial and this can inevitably lead to death.
Emotions as a Means to Connect with the World and Others
Emotions in existentialism can also be used to find oneself with other individuals. Ratcliffe further observed that that existential feelings can be used by different individuals in both the impersonal world and in finding oneself with other people. For instance, when one is disconnected from other people, there are emotions which appear on the individual and these emotions are used to establish a better relationship with other individuals. Ratcliffe (2012) observes that the interpersonal aspect of existential feeling is usually evident from psychiatric illness and descriptions in literature where people observe that they feel distant from other individuals.
The interaction of the body and emotions shapes how one interacts with the world. Gendlin (1992) analyzed the works of Merleau-Ponty who investigated the interaction of feelings and the body to create perception. He observes that perception is based on the interaction between the environment and the bodies. Bodies do the living and they have to interact with the environment through the use of the five senses. Every action of human beings that goes beyond the basics of smells, colors, and the five senses acts from the information that has been received by the body. These actions are used by the senses to identify every situation, one’s location, and what one is doing. Gendlin (1992) observes that perception is a feeling which goes beyond mere emotions. It is an emotional interaction involving the body and the world in a specific living situation.
Gendlin (1992) expounds the view of meaning held by Soren when he establishes that the body plays a significant role in establishing meaning. Gendlin observed that “perception” plays a critical role of the unity of the body and the world and this creates meaning. Gendlin established that the perception of colors, smells, and sounds are used to create meaning when one interacts with the physical environment. However, the term “perception” that Gendlin identifies is an aspect of emotions and feelings. The view by Gendlin (1992) was thus an addition to the view of Soren who observed that emotions create meaning.
One of the central ideas that was held by Soren was that meaning is created when the expected relationships in the world are coherent (Proulx, 2013). Gendlin (1992) observed that it is perceptions through an interaction between the body and emotions that lead to understanding of the world. Without such perceptions, it would be difficult to have means and one would be disoriented wherever they are and whatever they are doing. Soren also made similar observations when he observed that the world should be coherent and that men should develop a basis for understanding the coherence through emotions (Proulx, 2013).
Elementary and Non-Elementary Existential Feelings
Existential feelings were analyzed by Stephan (2012) who came up with two classes of existential feelings that include the elementary and non-elementary basic feelings. He noted that elementary existential feelings are basic and that they take place in the background of our lives to provide a rich sense of reality. He observed that elementary feelings are used to connect with ourselves, our actions, other people and objects, and to the surrounding world (Stephan, 2012). Feelings about oneself could involve feeling as a bodily being, feeling alive, and feeling as the agent of one’s deeds. Existential feelings about other people could involve experiencing interaction with others as partners and not imposters. Existential feelings about the surrounding world involve experiencing the world as real and not as an event taking place on the screen.
Stephan (2012) further observed that there are non-elementary existential feelings which are a pre-structure to the world but are triggered on specific occasions. Non-elementary existential feelings were also divided into feelings of oneself, the social environment, and the surrounding world. Existential feeling about oneself will involve feeling healthy, strong, fresh, and having a basic sense of trust in oneself. Existential feelings of the social environment will involve feeling a part of a group as opposed to feeling rejected and accepted. An existential feeling of the world will involve feeling homely and having a position in the world.
In conclusion, emotions have a significant role in existentialism as they play a significant role in how one interacts with the world. Emotions in existentialism play a significant role in finding meaning in life. Emotions come into play when the frameworks of meaning in life become broken. One can feel a wide range of emotions such as anxiety and angst. Emotions play a significant role in phenomenology because they can be used to show the values of the individual. The different decisions that one can undertake is based on their values and emotions play a central role in shaping the values. Emotions also enhance human experiences by ensuring that life is lived and experienced in a rich and meaningful way. Without emotions, life will be considered superficial and will not have deeper experiences. Emotions also form the basis of the interaction with the world and others as they enhance how one perceives the world and the people around them.
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