Sample Answer

otions first. The theory of emotions can be divided into two categories, these are cognitive and non-cognitive. The cognitive theory is when the emotions are or involve evaluative thoughts or judgements, whereas non-cognitive emotion can be described as emotions occurring without any thought. For something to be seen as representational, it has to be a stimulus input, then the representation is happening based on that stimuli. When we talk about emotions, for these to be representational it would mean that the stimulus would have a direct effect.

 

In this report I will be looking at arguments where emotions can be seen as representational and counter-arguments where it is believed that emotions are not representational. After doing this I will conclude by arguing that emotions are representational and explain why I believe this.

The philosophical literature contains discussions on the argument that emotions are representational. In order for emotions to be representations, it is believed that emotions are perceptual states and that they detect patterned changes within the body. (Jesse J.Prinz). Emotions allow us to decide on behaviour responses which come with the external situations that we deal with daily. An analogy that will help us understand this theory is the example of a smoke alarm, it is set up to make sound when it senses smoke. We are wired in the same way, in the sense that we “enter into bodily states when matter of concern arises” [1].

Evolution plays a big role in trying to help us understand how emotions are representational. There are different bodily patterns that the body goes into depending on the situation we are found in and evolution has a role in it as over the years it allowed our