Mixed Feelings by Douglas Cairns

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Mixed Feelings by Douglas Cairns

'Affective valence' typically refers to the way an affective state feels, i.e. the quality of the (dis)pleasure we subjectively experience: fear usually feels unpleasant, while joy feels good. Yet sometimes affective experience feels 'bittersweet', i.e. good and bad at the same time, as when we enjoy being scared on the roller coaster or being sad when reading a heart-rending novel. In these situations, mixed affect is experienced as a blended state in which positive and negative aspects cannot be prised apart in any meaningful way. But mixed affect can also arise from conflicting emotions (e.g when we desire something that we also wish to avoid), from ambivalence (e.g. when we are of two minds about something), and more. Taking a cross-cultural and multidisciplinary perspective, this volume aims to enrich our understanding of the phenomenology of mixed affective experiences. It explores narrative representations of mixed emotions in historical and literary works in both Western and Eastern traditions, as well as the theorization of such experiences in these traditions. It will be of interest to students and scholars of literature (especially classical Chinese, Greek, Indian, and Latin), history of emotions, and philosophy.

Douglas Cairns, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, Scotland; Pia Campeggiani, Bologna University, Bologna, Italy.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9783111390543
ISBN 10 3111390543
Title Mixed Feelings
Author Douglas Cairns
Series Trends In Classics - Supplementary Volumes
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Hardback
Publisher De Gruyter
Year published 2025-06-02
Number of pages 218
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.