Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Journal | Volume | Article

142700

A critical examination of existential feeling

Jussi A Saarinen

pp. 363-374

Abstract

Matthew Ratcliffe (2008, 2015) has argued that existential feelings form a distinct class of bodily and non-conceptual feelings that pre-intentionally structure our intentional experience of others, the world, and ourselves. In this article, I will identify and discuss three interrelated areas of concern for Ratcliffe's theory of existential feelings. First, the distinct senses in which existential feelings are felt as background bodily feelings and as spaces of possibility calls for further clarification. Second, the nature of the suggested bi-directional relationship between existential feelings and intentional experience remains ambiguous. Third, viewed in light of existential guilt, the categorically non-conceptual nature of existential feelings may not be as definite as presumed. The aim of the article is to draw critical attention to aspects of the theory that would benefit from further development, and therefore, to advance the ongoing discussion about existential feelings.

Publication details

Published in:

Crone Katja, Huemer Wolfgang (2018) Investigating the Social Self. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences Special Issue 17 (2).

Pages: 363-374

DOI: 10.1007/s11097-017-9512-4

Full citation:

Saarinen Jussi A (2018) „A critical examination of existential feeling“. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 17 (2), 363–374.