Heart and Soul; Emotions and Reason

[amicus]

I watched a film tonight; “Threshold”, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083197/ , that meshed with another thread about morality and emotions.


There is a very tenuous thread of thought between the film content and the discussion going on about morals being subjective and emotional or rational and logical.

The theme of the film is the first artificial heart transplant. Donald Sutherlin, (father of Keifer Sutherlin, “24” star) plays the surgeon and Mare Winningham, the patient receiving the transplant.

Mare Winningham played a 21 year old girl with a failing heart who asked: “Will I be the same person, without my own heart beating inside me?”

That made me think…’heart and soul’, emotions and reason, and the thoughts cascaded…

When we talk about the ‘heart’ of a person, we speak of more than the organ that pumps blood; and soul, is a spiritual term, defined as you may.

When a person has a ‘heart’ we are speaking of emotions, feelings, intuitions, all of those subjective terms so difficult to define.

But this girl, was concerned that she would not be the same, ‘person’, if a mechanical heart was beating in her chest.

As I said at the outset of this, it is a ‘tenuous’ thread of thought connecting to another thought.

It is stated, elsewhere, that morals are emotional and subjective. To which I disagreed and stated that morals and ethics are the result of reason and rationality, not emotions.

Those who think emotions are innate or social constructs, deny the tabula rasa theory that humans are born as a blank slate and emotions are learned and chosen. It is a long argument in formal philosophy.

But when the young girl in this film asked, “But will I be the same person?” with an artificial heart, it made me think.

Whether I made my point or not, “Threshold” is worth seeing.


Amicus….

 

[angelicminx]

I may just be tired and needing to go back to bed, but I'm not sure what your point is, Amicus.

I seem to recall seeing that film, or at least one with the same premise, and found it interesting. It's one hell of a concept. What does make you, YOU?

I don't think humans are born as a blank slate, but I do think the majority of emotions are learned and/ or chosen.

 

[cantdog]

Amicus not only entertains the quaint belief that newborns are emotionless, he also believes the sum total of scientific opinion agrees.

 

[elsol]

It is stated, elsewhere, that morals are emotional and subjective. To which I disagreed and stated that morals and ethics are the result of reason and rationality, not emotions.

I think Doc & you both misunderstood what the study says.

IMO, the study showed that moral choices are made emotionally... and not that morals and ethics are the result of emotion.

It's one thing to know killing is morally wrong... it's a whole different thing to be faced with the wife fucking your best friend. The choice to go into the closet, grab the shotgun, and commit a moral bad thing is going to be somewhat clouded by emotion.

 

[amicus]

Thank you Angelic...I guess I keep nibbling at this subject and the entire range of human actions, because emotions are power motivating factors and the ability of man to reason and act accordingly is continually brought into question on this forum.

This discussion has been on and off for years here with the majority expressing the opinion that emotions are rooted somewhere other than the mind.

When most of the world believed in one form of religion or another, morality and ethical behavior simply meant following the dictates or scriptures germane to that particular belief.

A few philosophers before and then many following the advent of the printing press and the Renaissance began to question morals and ethics outside the church.

Utilitarianism and the later Social Darwinism came into play with many offshoots of thought in all directions.

amicus...

 

[amicus]

[QUOTE=elsol]I think Doc & you both misunderstood what the study says.

IMO, the study showed that moral choices are made emotionally... and not that morals and ethics are the result of emotion.

It's one thing to know killing is morally wrong... it's a whole different thing to be faced with the wife fucking your best friend. The choice to go into the closet, grab the shotgun, and commit a moral bad thing is going to be somewhat clouded by emotion.[/QUOTE]

~~~


The real underlying question, El, is whether or not there exists an universal morality that applies to all men at all times, one that may be rationally understood and defined and communicated.

And, yes, emotions are automatic responses, we feel and act a certain way without consciously thinking of why we feel and act.

Both love and hate are such emotions and both are difficult to understand how they come about.

I guess that is why there are 'crimes of passion', wherein, should you find your wife in bed with your best friend, the judicial system may consider forgiving you for the immoral action of blowing their genitals off.

But to properly address the issues involved, one should understand the terms of the discussion. What is an emotion, where does it come from; what are ethics and morals and where do they come from.

amicus...