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Descartes' Theory of Passions View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by D-Scholarship@Pitt DESCARTES’ THEORY OF PASSIONS by Abel B. Franco Litentiate Degree in Philosophy, University of Salamanca (Spain), 1992 Litentiate Degree in French Philology, University of Salamanca (Spain), 1997 M.A. in History, Graduate Center (CUNY), 1998 Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Salamanca (Spain), 1999 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Pittsburgh in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2006 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Abel B. Franco It was defended on June 26, 2006 and approved by Peter K. Machamer (Advisor), Professor, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh J. E. McGuire (Co-advisor), Professor, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh Nicholas Rescher, University Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh Stephen Engstrom, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh ii Copyright © by Abel B. Franco 2006 iii DESCARTES’ THEORY OF PASSIONS Abel B. Franco, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, 2006 Descartes not only had a theory of passions, but one that deserves a place among contemporary debates on emotions. The structure of this dissertation attempts to make explicit the unity of that theory. The study of the passions by the physicien (who not only studies matter and motion but also human nature) [Chapter 2] appears to be the “foundations” (as he tells Chanut) of morals [Chapters 1 and 4] insofar as their main function [Chapter 3] is to dispose us to act in ways which directly affect our natural happiness. In other words, Descartes is in the Passions of the Soul (1649) climbing the very tree of philosophy he presented two years earlier in the Preface to French Edition of the Principles of Philosophy: the trunk (in this case a section of it: our nature) leads us to the highest of the three branches (morals) when we study human passions. Human passions constitute the only function of the mind-body union that can guide us in the pursuit of our (natural) happiness. They do this (1) by informing the soul about the current state of perfection both of the body and, most importantly, of the mind-body union; (2) by discriminating what is relevant in the world regarding our perfection; and (3) by proposing (to the will) possible ways of action (i.e. by disposing us to act). The virtuous (the generous) are those who have achieved “contentment” not by impeding the arousal of their passions but by living them according to reason, that is, by following freely the dispositions to act (brought about by them) which can increase our perfection—i.e. the disposition to join true goods and to avoid true evils. Regarding current debates on emotions [Chapter 5], Descartes’ perceptual model not only provides a satisfactory answer to the major challenges faced today both by feeling theories (intentionality) and judgment theories (feelings and the passivity of emotions) but it can also help advance those debates by, on one hand, bringing into them new or neglected ideas, and, on the other, providing a solid overall framework to think about passions. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................1 I. THE CORRESPONDENCE ON PASSIONS (1641-1649) .................................................................9 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................9 1.1. CONTROL AND HAPPINESS ...............................................................................................13 1.2. THE NATURE OF HUMAN PASSIONS...............................................................................55 1.3. THE MIND-BODY UNION.....................................................................................................73 II. THE CAUSAL (PHYSIOLOGICO-MENTAL) ACCOUNT .........................................................85 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................85 2.1. THE CAUSAL PROCESS: PRELIMINARIES ....................................................................98 2.2. PASSIONS CAUSED BY EXTERNAL OBJECTS.............................................................113 2.2.1. Sensations ....................................................................................................................113 2.2.2. Passions........................................................................................................................134 2.2.3. Sensations vs. Passions ...............................................................................................146 2.3. THE THREE OTHER CAUSES CONSIDERED BY DESCARTES................................154 2.4. OTHER CASES PRESENT IN THE PASSIONS................................................................164 2.4.1. Passions caused by the state of the body...................................................................164 2.4.2. Passions aroused by “good and evils which the soul does not notice” ...................168 2.4.3. Internal and intellectual emotions.............................................................................171 III. THE FUNCTION OF THE PASSIONS.........................................................................................180 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................180 3.1. REPRESENTATION: WHAT NATURE “DEEMS USEFUL FOR US” .........................183 3.2. REASON..................................................................................................................................197 3.3. WONDER................................................................................................................................204 v 3.4. PASSIONS “DISPOSE THE SOUL TO WANT” ...............................................................211 3.5. CONCLUSIONS .....................................................................................................................222 IV. ETHICS.............................................................................................................................................226 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................226 4.1. FREE WILL AND TRANQUILLITY..................................................................................228 4.2. THE WILL AND THE AROUSAL OF THE PASSIONS ..................................................232 4.3. DESIRE ...................................................................................................................................237 4.4. GENEROSITY........................................................................................................................242 V. THE PASSIONS AND CONTEMPORARY DEBATES ON EMOTIONS..................................248 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................248 5.1. DESCARTES AND THE FEELING THEORY ..................................................................250 5.1.1. William James and Descartes. ...................................................................................250 5.1.2. C. G. Lange and Descartes.........................................................................................263 5.1.3. Descartes and Contemporary Feeling Theorists......................................................271 5.2. DESCARTES AND THE JUDGMENT THEORY .............................................................278 5.3. THE ACTUALITY OF THE PASSIONS OF THE SOUL..................................................291 5.3.1. Some Cartesian views relevant in current debates. .................................................291 5.3.1.1. Past experience................................................................................................291 5.3.1.2. Intellect and emotions ....................................................................................293 5.3.2. The Passions and demands placed on current theories of emotions. .....................296 5.3.2.1. Emotions in animals. ......................................................................................296 5.3.2.2. The unification of the theory of emotions.....................................................301 5.3.2.3. Intentionality and its anomalies ....................................................................305 5.3.3. The Passions within current debates: overview .......................................................313 FIGURES.................................................................................................................................................315 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................................320 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. The Cartesian Mind .................................................................................................... 315 Figure 2. Sensory perceptions according to Descartes’ rope-like mechanical view.................. 316 Figure 3. Causal account of
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