A Historical Perspective: Eighteenth Century

• Locke: The associationists
• Hartley: "Vibrations" and classification of the emotions
• Tucker: The development of emotions
• Adam Smith
• David Hume: A dynamical view of emotions

- In his 'treatise of human nature (Book 2, 1888)', David Hume takes the original viewpoint that Reason is not superior to emotions, but the reverse 'Reason is, and ought to be, the slave of the passions'.
- For Hume, emotions are 'impressions' (sensations) that originate in the 'animal spirits' in the blood. A particular emotion is the result of interactions with other (pre-existing) emotions and 'ideas' (cognitions).
- Like Adam Smith, David Hume emphasizes the role of 'sympathy' (empathy), as a universal aspect of human nature. Emotion is part of the very essence of human social existence and morality.

• David Hume entry, in the Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
• The Hume society.
• The Hume Archives.
• The complete text of 'Treatise of human nature'
  
• Robert C. Solomon. The philosophy of emotions, in the handbook of emotions, Lewis M. and Haviland-Jone J.M. (eds). The guilford Press, 2000.
   

Author: Jean-Marc Fellous

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