Emotions: a Philosophical Introduction

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Acerca de este Curso

Philosophy is like sex: sure you can get some interesting results, but that's not why we do it. Going one step beyond…why do you FEEL pain or pleasure? Do plants have emotions? How is possible that some people do not understand other’s emotions? Emotions seem to be everywhere, giving meaning to all events of our lives. They are the backbone of social activities as well as they drive the cognitive processes of several living entities. Several animals, including humans, have emotions but…what about machines?...Do machine can have emotions? This course will help you to understand and to identify most important philosophical ideas and debates about emotions, as well as it will provide you a rich source of data about neurological, psychological or anthropological analysis of emotions. In a nutshell: this is a course to feel and think about.

Curso 100 % en línea

Comienza de inmediato y aprende a tu propio ritmo.

Nivel principiante

Aprox. 10 horas para completar

Sugerido: 3-5 hours/week

English

Subtítulos: English

Curso 100 % en línea

Comienza de inmediato y aprende a tu propio ritmo.

Nivel principiante

Aprox. 10 horas para completar

Sugerido: 3-5 hours/week

English

Subtítulos: English

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

1

Section

1 hour to complete

Welcome!

Welcome to this amazing course on the nature of emotions. You’ll see that emotions are everywhere. They are the true meaning of our lives and guide us all throughout our daily actions. There is a lot to discuss, to think about, to discover about them! Six weeks for a Course, one Course for new Knowledge!...

1 video (Total 4 min), 5 readings

1 videos

Welcome to the course!4m

5 readings

Welcome, Learners!10m

Course format10m

Syllabus10m

Evaluation10m

Certification10m

1 hour to complete

Where do emotions come from?

At the very beginning of this course we will look at the basic definitions and concepts related to the emotional events. At the same time we will introduce basic philosophical ideas in order to make possible the understanding of the nature of emotional values....

5 videos (Total 46 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

5 videos

What is an emotion and why do we have them? Some definitions9m

The ABC of emotional processes6m

Why do emotions exist and how many living entities have emotions?11m

How did emotions evolve?8m

Where do emotions happen?9m

1 readings

Week 1 Overview10m

2 practice exercises

L1A Exam - Lessons/Videos20m

L1B Exam - Reading and External Video8m

2

Section

1 hour to complete

How many emotions do exist?

After the clarification about the different aspects we can find in emotional analysis, we will look at the number and type of different emotions. There are several theories about their number, and all of them also contain a way to understand how emotions emerged and evolved. The debate will be fun!...

5 videos (Total 35 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

5 videos

Protoemotions, the Holy Grail of protostudies5m

A taxonomy of emotions7m

The geography of emotions: Guilt vs Shame cultures8m

Aware: attention, data selection and the aesthetical feeling of ahness6m

L2.5. No pain, no gain? The modulatory nature of emotions7m

1 readings

Week 2 Overview10m

2 practice exercises

L2A Exam - Lessons/Videos20m

L2B Exam - Reading and External Video8m

3

Section

1 hour to complete

What does a plant feel?

Not only humans do have emotions. Other mammals have also them. And even insects. But do plants have emotions? Even bacteria, a so small entity, have also these emotional mechanisms. An evolutionary reconstruction will understand to understand how emotions are spread among living entities....

5 videos (Total 37 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

5 videos

From nonsense to sense? A bacterial dilemma5m

Animal emotion8m

The qualia problem10m

Conscious vs Unconscious emotions6m

Ghost and chronic emotions6m

1 readings

Week 3 Overview10m

2 practice exercises

L3A Exam - Lessons/Videos20m

L3B Exam - Reading and External Video8m

4

Section

1 hour to complete

A neuroanthropological approach to emotions: from neurons to societies

Emotions regulate several key aspects of our life. But they are fundamental for social cohesion. Cooperation or altruism are fundamental aspects of human socialization that must be understood from an emotional perspective. Neurons will show the path to the creation of societies....

5 videos (Total 49 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

5 videos

Unemotional neurons but emotional brains12m

Emotions without brains?9m

Emotions, empathy and ethics: neuroethical challenges7m

The moral control of the emotional mind11m

The social management of emotions8m

1 readings

Week 4 Overview10m

2 practice exercises

L4A Exam - Lessons/Videos20m

L4B Exam - Reading and External Video8m

5

Section

1 hour to complete

The philosophies on emotions

There are plenty of historical debates on the nature and role of emotions into philosophical spaces. Usually, this approach is made studying at Western thinkers, but we will also include Eastern ones. Therefore, we will analyse how most important philosophical traditions have understood and explain the role of emotions. [Spoiler: they always said they were BAD!]....

5 videos (Total 43 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

5 videos

The classic Western debates on the nature of emotions10m

The classic Eastern debates on the nature of emotions9m

The methodological debates on emotions across history9m

The transdisciplinarity of emotional studies: an epistemological gap6m

Damasio’s success and Descartes’s error, the new fashion (or trend?)6m

1 readings

Week 5 Overview10m

2 practice exercises

L5A Exam - Lessons/Videos20m

L5B Exam - Reading and External Video8m

6

Section

4 hours to complete

21st Century & emotions: affective computing and sociable robots

At the end of this course we will look on how emotions are displayed into new technological frameworks: social networks, mass media,…but we will think about how emotions are implemented into robots or computers. A new technological era come to us, with the same necessities of all previous ones: emotional. Machines will be emotional, if we want they be really smart, autonomous, and efficient....

5 videos (Total 38 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes

5 videos

Neural Nets6m

Emotional Architectures6m

Affective computing6m

Social robotics and HRI8m

Emotional machines and singularity?9m

1 readings

Week 6 Overview10m

3 practice exercises

L6A Exam - Lessons/Videos20m

L6B Exam - Reading and External Video8m

Get the distinction30m

Instructor

Jordi Vallverdú

Professor Dr.

About Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is a public university located in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. International in its outlook, it is fully consolidated within its local surroundings, and offers quality education in close association with research activity, the transfer of scientific, technological, cultural and educational knowledge, the promotion of its human potential and the responsible management of available resources. The UAB currently offers 81 degrees, 130 official Master Programmes and 183 UAB-specific Masters Degrees. In addition, it offers 174 lifelong learning programmes and 65 PhD Programmes, 27 of which have been distinguished through Quality Awards. The UAB has a total of over 3,500 teaching and research staff, over 2,000 administrative staff and over 40,000 students....

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I pay for this course?
If you pay for this course, you will have access to all of the features and content you need to earn a Course Certificate. If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. Note that the Course Certificate does not represent official academic credit from the partner institution offering the course.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
Yes! Coursera provides financial aid to learners who would like to complete a course but cannot afford the course fee. To apply for aid, select "Learn more and apply" in the Financial Aid section below the "Enroll" button. You'll be prompted to complete a simple application; no other paperwork is required.
Who is the course for?
This course is for all of you who would like to know more about Emotions, about how we feel.
No academic bakcground is required to take the course. However, there is a desiderata: to have an open-minded attitude towards new information and ideas.
Do I need a previous background?
No, you just need to have an open-minded attitude towards new information and ideas.
Do I need to use a special hardware/software?
No, you will only need a computer, smartphone or tablet to follow the course.
However, if you are interested in obtaining the Course Certificate, you may also need a webcam (if it is not included in your device).
When can I request the certificate?
You can request the certificate at any time: before, during or once you finish the course.
Which information does include the certificate?
· The course name
· The instructor's signature
· The logo of the partner institution offering the course
· A verification URL that allows others to check the Certificate's authenticity
· A statement that Coursera has confirmed the identity of the learner who completed the course
Which information does not include the certificate?
· Academic credit from the partner institution offering the course
· The final grade you got in the course
· Your ID photo
· The hours you spent working on coursework
· A printed or mailed copy of the Course Certificate.
Certificates are provided as downloadable PDF files, which you can print yourself. You can also share them electronically.
Unfortunately, Coursera cannot provide course Certificates with any more information than they already include.
Is the certificate recognized for official credits at the UAB?
No. The certificate shows that the student has passed the course, but it is not an official qualification of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center

Emotions: a Philosophical Introduction