From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Wed Jun 18 2003 - 01:41:41 BST
Hi Sam,
> Damasio distinguishes between "emotion" and "feeling" (I haven't followed
> that distinction in previous posts, although I now shall). Damasio writes,
> "I separate three stages of processing along a continuum: a state of
> emotion, which can be triggered and executed nonconsciously; a state of
> feeling, which can be represented nonconsciously; and a state of feeling
> made conscious, ie known to the organism having both emotion and feeling."
> So emotions are publicly observable (partly), whereas feelings are purely
> internal. So let's agree that (defined this way) emotions are the level 2
> processes, ie bodily, whereas feelings operate at level 3 and, I would
> argue, at level 4, ie your sense that theory A is true and theory B is
> false is a *feeling*. A DH Lawrence quote sums it up for me:
>
> You must fuse mind and wit with all the senses
> before you can feel truth.
> And if you can't feel truth you can't have any other
> satisfactory sensual experience.
>
> (DH Lawrence, 'Sense of Truth')
Aha. This separation of emotion from feeling is a breakthrough for me
because as you may suspect I have doubts about the "emotional cognition"
and "emotional wisdom" aspects of your eudaimonic 4th level. But the
phrase 'sense of truth' puts what I think you may be driving at in a
clearer light, at least for me, as perhaps best illustrated in the
following passage from a book by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto simply entitled
"Truth."
"First, apprehension of the truth you feel is registered like an emotion
and redeemed from subjectivism by its resemblance to instincts, such as
alertness to danger, hunger and fear. When a creature in a flock, herd or
pride signals an instinctive reaction to another, nobody thinks of
accusing it of subjectivism. Some of the earliest attempts of human beings
to match signs or language to their feelings must have been like that: an
alarm or alert, and invitation to appease hunger or seek ease.
Consciousness and communication transmute instincts into language which
can be mistrusted; but the truth-telling mechanisms -- the inner feelings -
- persists. We still have them and trust their promptings."
That our sense of truth can be found at the 4th level is obvious because
truth seeking is what that level is all about as opposed to the "can't we
all just get along" demands of the level below where truth is manipulated
in the interests of winning the game of king of the hill.
But what strikes me most about this instinct for truth is its similarity
to our instinct for Quality, that is, not only does it appeal to our
better angels but it also exists at the front edge of experience as an
immediate, intuitive, undeliberate, involuntary judgment. The conscious
application of intellectual standards, criteria, precepts and rules come
after the initial "feeling."
It's hard to know just what to call this experience.The word "feeling" is
too close to "emotion" for my liking. I might settle for "sense" as in
"sixth sense" but I don't care for its suggestion of emanating from some
area of the brain, and I despise the glove-fisted directive by politically
correct types who like nothing better than to send you off to "sensitivity
training."
Suddenly I remembered part of poem by Wordsworth from my college days
which I think strikes the right note:
"One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man
Of moral evil and of good
Than all the sages can.
Yes, an impulse for truth. That sounds right. It also sounds right for
Dynamic Quality because impulse suggests more than simple recognition, it
suggests a force.
Perhaps I've strayed too from your eudaimonic idea--from emotional wisdom
to feeling to sense to impulse. In any event, if you'd care to comment I'd
appreciate it. In the meantime, thanks for D. H. Lawrence quote that
started me down this path.
Platt
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