Lesson 1: Is emotion all in the mind?

1. Lesson 1: Is emotion all in the mind? 1. List all the emotions you can think of: Emotions: …………. Compliments of Sha Tin College TOK Introduction

2. Lesson 1: Is emotion all in the mind? • Are there any emotions listed which have identical meanings? • Does our inability or ability to describe these affect the way we perceive them? • Are any emotions related directly to our survival? • Are emotions learned or are they innate? • Can we classify emotions into specific groups? TOK Introduction

3. a list • sadness • epiphany • jealousy • frustration, confusion • amazement, wonder • appalled • love • hate • fear • lust • anger • embarrassment • shame TOK Introduction

4. Which would you consider the 6 basic emotions? Which 6 are the most prominent within your life? TOK Introduction

5. Compare with these lists: • Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust • (Van de Lagemat p. 147) • Pleasure, anger, sorrow, joy, love, hate, desire • (Korean Philos T’oegye, Alchin p. 294) • Fondness, dislike, delight, anger, sadness, joy • (Chinese Philos Tzu, Alchin p. 294) Which emotions common to all 3 (and common to yours). Do you agree with these 6 basic? What should we consider to be our 6? Why? TOK Introduction

6. Write a description of fear. • FRW: an intense feeling toward a threat that makes you want to run away from the situation. Who gave a description based on physical characteristics? Who described a frightening situation? If the emotion is related to the situation, can persons from any culture/background understand the emotion? TOK Introduction

7. James-Lange Theory (VDL p 148) James and Lange do not accept the following sequence : I see the examination question, I get scared and then my heart rate increases (and I get a dry mouth etc.) I see the exam question, my heart rate increase and I get scared. Emotions are the feelings which come about following physiological changes in the body. TOK Introduction

8. The theory states that within human beings, as a response to experiences in the world, the autonomic nervous system creates physiological events such as muscular tension, a rise in heart rate, perspiration, and dryness of the mouth. Emotions, then, are feelings which come about as a result of these physiological changes, rather than being their cause. Lange specifically stated that vasomotor changes are emotions TOK Introduction

9. A closer look at deduction. (James) My theory ... 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 meet a bear, are frightened and run… The hypothesis here to be defended says that this order of sequence is incorrect ... and that the more rational statement is that we feel … afraid because we tremble ... Without the bodily states following on the perception, the latter would be purely cognitive in form, pale, colorless, destitute of emotional warmth. We might then see the bear, and judge it best to run … but we should not actually feel afraid … TOK Introduction

10. James-Lange TOK Introduction

11. A closer look at deduction. • Questions: • If the physical characteristics could be removed then we would also remove the emotion. Do you accept this? • Does this translate for all emotions? • Do emotions exist only in their physical effect? What about epiphany, déjà vu? Are these physically related? TOK Introduction

12. A closer look at deduction. Activity: Reflect on the following in your journals “Emotion has the advantage of being open to all, the weak and the lowly, the illiterate and the scholar. It is seen to be efficacious as any other method and is sometimes said to be stronger than the others since it is its own fruition.” Bhagavad Gita Efficacious: effective, efficient, successful Fruition: final result, end, realization, fulfillment, achievement. TOK Introduction