Emotion, Thought and Therapy: A Study of Hume and Spinoza and the Relationship of Philosophical Theories of Emotion

207 Pages·2022·37.211 MB·English

by  Jerome Neu

Routledge Revivals
Emotion, Thought and Therapy
First published in 1977, Emotion, Thought and Therapy is a study of Hume
and Spino2a and the relationship of philosophical theories of the emotions to
psychological theories of therapy. Jerome Neu argues that the Spinozists are
closer to the truth; that is, that thoughts are of greater importance than
feelings in the classification and discrimination of emotional states. He then
contends that if the Spinozists are closer to the truth, we have the beginning
of an argument to show that Freudian or analytic therapies make philosophic
sense. Throughout the book, careful attention is paid to modern discussions
in philosophy of mind and psychology, and materials from anthropology and
other relevant disciplines are considered. At the centre of the discussion is
the notion of ‘thought-dependence’. Therapies for psychological disorders are
placed along a spectrum in accordance with the role they assign to thoughts.
The Spinozist view of the emotions can be seen as at the extreme thought
end of a corresponding spectrum of theories of the emotions. The book suggests
that this stream may help explain the spectrum of therapeutic theories
and the possibilities that exist for psychological development and change.
This book will be of interest to students of philosophy, psychology and
counselling.

Emotion, Thought and Therapy<br/>
A Study of Hume and Spinoza and the Relationship
of Philosophical Theories of Emotion to
Psychological Theories of Therapy
Jerome Neu
|)
f i Routledge
V* m m fj Taylor &.Francis Group
First published in 1977
by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
This edition first published in 2022 by Routledge<br/>
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge<br/>
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© Jerome Neu 1977
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Note<br/>
Publisher's
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points
out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent.
Disclaimer<br/>
The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes
correspondence from those they have been unable to contact.
A Library of Congress record exists under ISBN: 0710086008
ISBN: 978-1-032-35015-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-32501-7 (ebk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-35046-2 (pbk)
Book DOI 10.4324/9781003325017
Emofion,T hought
& Therapy
A Study of Hume and Spinoza and the Relationship of Philosophical
Theories of the Emotions to Psychological Theories of Therapy
Jerome Neu
Assistant Professor of Humanities
University of California, Santa Cruz
First published in 1977
by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
39 Store Street,
London WC1 E 7DD and
Broadway House,
Newtown Road,
Henley-on-Thames,
Oxon RG9 1EN
Set in Monotype Bell
and printed in Great Britain by
Western Printing Services Ltd, Bristol
Copyright Jerome Neu 1977
No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form without permission from the
publisher, except for the quotation of brief
passages in criticism
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Neu, Jerome
Emotion, thought & therapy.
1. Hume, David –P sychology
2. Spinoza, Benedictus de – Psychology
3. Psychotherapy – History
I. Title
152.4'092'2 B1499.E/
ISBN 0-7100-8600-8
For Stuart and Renee Hampshire

Contents
Acknowledgmentsix
Introduction1
I Hume
1 Impressions of Reflexion7
2 Pride and Double Association8
3 ‘Limitations’10
4 Association: Resemblance and Simplicit1y1
5 Association: Simplicity and the Essentia1l6
6 Impressions of Pleasure and Pleasant Impressions 20
7 Self and the Idea of Sel2f4
8 Emotion and Objec2t6
9 Object and Effec2t8
10 Object and Cause32
11 Thought-Dependence36
12 Sympathy and Knowledge of Other Minds46
13 Calm Passions53
14 Thought, Turbulence, and Action56
Hume’s Classification of the Passions (diagram)68
II Spinoza
1 Conatus and Unconscious Desire71
2 Pleasure and Pain and the Spinozist Analysis of Love 76
3 Active/Passive and the Intellectual Love of God 79
4 More Adequate Ideas and Activity81
5 Transforming Emotions84
6 Intellectual or Social Emotions92
7 Active Emotion and Action97