Feelings and Reason second.

But whereas an emotional experience is

What are Feelings? brief and episodic, an emotion—which may or may
A feeling is an experience of emotion. While not result from accreted emotional experiences—
the term “feeling” can be used to describe purely can endure for many years, and, in that time,
physical sensations, such as touch or pain, in the predispose to a variety of emotional experiences, as
context of this article we are going to talk about well as thoughts, beliefs, desires, and actions. For
feelings as psychological phenomenon, such as instance, love can give rise not only to amorous
being head over heels in love. Feelings are feelings, but also to joy, grief, rage, longing, and
important because they are largely responsible for jealousy, among others.
our entire experience of life. It’s our feelings that Similarly, it is very common to confuse
determine whether we are happy or sad, content or emotions and feelings. An emotional experience, by
frustrated. It is our feelings that motivate us to do virtue of being a conscious experience, is
things: necessarily a feeling, as are physical sensations
● working out to feel attractive such as hunger or pain (although not all conscious
● studying to feel smart and/or accepted experiences are also feelings, not, for example,
● working extra hard to compensate for our believing or seeing, presumably because they lack a
real or imagined flaws in order to feel like a somatic or bodily dimension). By contrast, an
worthy romantic partner emotion, being in some sense latent, can only ever
be felt, sensu stricto, through the emotional
What is Reason? experiences that it gives rise to, even though it
Reason can be defined as: might also be discovered through its associated
● Abstract process of reasoning through thoughts, beliefs, desires, and actions. Despite
rational thought, to reach a conclusion, these conscious and unconscious manifestations,
result, goal, decision, judgment, assessment, emotions need not themselves be conscious, and
understanding, or other outcome that is some emotions, such as hating one’s mother or
thoroughly and convincingly justified by the being in love with one’s best friend, might only be
reasoning process. uncovered, let alone admitted, after several years in
● Alternatively, a proposition which provides psychotherapy.
specific support for an argument,
conclusion, or explanation for a fact. What is Love?
● Alternatively, a credible explanation, Most of us tend to focus on falling in love
ground, or motive for an action or belief, as and use the feeling of love to determine the
opposed to a mere excuse which may be duration of a relationship. Falling in love is easy to
based on nothing more than emotion. do, almost effortless, but losing that loving feeling
is not that hard to do, either.
Are Feelings the Same as Emotions? Of course, when a relationship is new, it is
It is very common to confuse or amalgamate fun and enjoyable courting or being courted. In the
these three instances, especially the first and the beginning, we are constantly thinking about the
new person in our life, and wanting to spend all of Moral reasoning applies critical analysis to
our time together and share new experiences specific events to determine what is right or wrong,
together. We want to show how we feel by getting and what people ought to do in a particular
cards or flowers or just sending a cute text message. situation. Both philosophers and psychologists
Feelings, however, can be fleeting. No one study moral reasoning.
seems to want to talk about how those loving Moral reasoning typically applies logic and
feelings can fade, that it takes work to keep the love moral theories, such as deontology or
alive, and that choosing to stay in love is a choice utilitarianism, to specific situations or dilemmas.
we all must make. However, people are not especially good at moral
Who we love is as much of a choice as it is a reasoning. Indeed, the term moral dumbfounding
feeling. Staying in love takes a commitment. After describes the fact that people often reach strong
the rosy glow of the new relationship wears off, we moral conclusions that they cannot logically defend.
have to make a decision: Do we want to love this In fact, evidence shows that the moral
person and commit to a relationship together, or principle or theory a person chooses to apply is
are we going to let this person go? often, ironically, based on their emotions, not on
logic. Their choice is usually influenced by internal
Moral Emotions biases or outside pressures, such as the self-serving
1. Inner-directed negative emotions like guilt, bias or the desire to conform.
embarrassment, and shame often motivate So, while we likely believe we approach
people to act ethically. ethical dilemmas logically and rationally, the truth
2. Outer-directed negative emotions, on the is our moral reasoning is usually influenced by
other hand, aim to discipline or punish. For intuitive, emotional reactions.
example, people often direct anger, disgust,
or contempt at those who have acted
unethically. This discourages others from Is Morality Based on Emotions or Reason?
behaving the same way. Ethical judgments are often highly
3. Positive emotions like gratitude and emotional, when people express their strong
admiration, which people may feel when approval or disapproval of various acts. Whether
they see another acting with compassion or they are also rational depends on whether the
kindness, can prompt people to help others. cognitive appraisal that is part of emotion is done
4. Emotions evoked by suffering, such as well or badly. Emotional judgments can be flawed
sympathy and empathy, often lead people to by many factors, such as ignorance about the actual
act ethically toward others. Indeed, empathy consequences of actions and neglect of relevant
is the central moral emotion that most goals, such as taking into account the needs and
commonly motivates prosocial activity such interests of all people affected. The emotions
as altruism, cooperation, and generosity. involved in ethical thinking can be rational when
they are based on careful consideration of a full
Moral Reasoning
range of appropriate goals, including altruistic
ones.
The brain is capable of simultaneously
performing both cognitive appraisal and bodily
perception, and emotional consciousness results
from this combination. If the integrated view is
correct, we can see how emotions can be both
rational, in being based at least sometimes on good
judgments about how well a situation accomplishes
appropriate goals, and visceral, providing
motivations to act. Some emotions are beautifully
rational, such as love for people who add great
value to our lives, whereas other emotions can be
irrational, such as attachment to abusive partners.
Ideally, this consideration should mesh with a
intuitive reaction that provides a motivation to act
well and correct injustices. Being good requires
both thinking and feeling.