Question

Summarize the below passage in your own words.

Our natural way of thinking about these standard emotions is that the mental perception of some fact excites the mental affection called the emotion, and that this latter state of mind gives rise to the bodily expression. My thesis on the contrary is that the bodily changes follow directly the PERCEPTION of the exciting fact, and that our feeling of the same changes as they occur IS the emotion. Common sense says, we lose our fortune, are sorry and weep; we meet a bear, are frightened and run; we are insulted by a rival, are angry and strike. The hypothesis here to be defended says that this order of sequence is incorrect, that the one mental state is not immediately induced by the other, that the bodily manifestations must first be interposed between, and that the more rational statement is that we feel sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble, and not that we cry, strike, or tremble, because we are sorry, angry, or fearful, as the case may be. Without the bodily states following on the perception, the latter would be purely cognitive in form, pale, colourless, destitute of emotional warmth. We might then see the bear, and judge it best to run, receive the insult and deem it right to strike, but we could not actually feel afraid or angry.

Answer 1

Answer- In common sense, the concept of emotion is described as the perception of some mental processes which give rise to mental affection. This state of the mind gives rise to some bodily expressions. But thesis described in the passage is different from this concept. It is based on the fact that the perception directly brings changes in bodily expressions and whatever we feel as the result of these changes is known as emotion. According to other researchers, our bodily expressions are the result of our emotions but the hypothesis which is given here has proved it wrong. According to this hypothesis, one mental process is not originated by another and the bodily expressions which occured due to mental process in a particular situation gives rise to emotion. If the bodily changes are not followed by the perception, the result will be cognitive in nature.