Abstract

The author argues that Peirce, James, and Dewey propose a version of emotional cognitivism. He goes on to highlight certain features of human emotions, conceived in this light, above all emotional reflexivity. Given the highly fallible character of our emotional judgments, the reference to the “I,” in addition to that to the object, can hardly be overlooked. Deliberative agents are wise to confess, “I am angry,” without eliminating what James identifies as “the intensely objective reference” of such feelings as fear, anger, and rapture.