A phenomenological and existential approach to the dichotomy between reason and emotions

Abstract

Throughout the history of philosophy, the dichotomy contrasting the faculty of rationality to the emotions has been consistently present and embraced. Reason, on the one hand, is associated with the role of guiding our actions towards our main goals and success. On the other hand, emotions are seen as forceful, passionate frenzies which lead us astray and into pure trouble. Because of this, the emotions have been shunned to the side and seen as mere distractions in the philosophers’ journey of achieving the Truth. By utilizing Heidegger’s phenomenological ideas, and Sartre’s existential thoughts, I will argue that this dichotomy is not only unfair towards the emotions, but also harmful towards our understanding of the human experience as a whole. I will thus be providing a reading of Heidegger’s philosophy of emotions in his text Being and Time and Sartre’s ideas in A Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions. Through looking at these two schools of thought, therefore, my aim is to dissolve this dichotomy and bring the emotions back to the forefront of philosophical discussion.