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Ideas

History of emotions

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Photo of emotional protesters raising hands and holding Catalan flags in a crowd during a demonstration.

History of emotions

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Neuroscience has much to learn from Hume’s philosophy of emotions

According to philosopher David Hume, it takes a lifetime to get our emotions right. Neuroscience has much to learn from him

by Richard C Sha

Medieval painting of a person in stocks, a figure holding a basket of eggs throwing eggs at them, and another holding a horn-like instrument.

Human rights and justice

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The history of humiliation points to the future of human dignity

Humiliation requires a complicit audience. To become truly ‘decent societies’, we need to educate people against joining in

by Ute Frevert

A painting of a man with his arm round a seated woman in a wooded area.

Love

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Working, flirting and sex: courtship in 18th-century France

Flirting, sex and affection: working-class couples courting in 18th-century France show they are not so different from today

by Julie Hardwick

Man in jeans and trainers falls backwards as he avoids three charging bulls on a cobblestone street. Top-down perspective captures the chaos of the scene.

History of emotions

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Schadenfreude: why do we find joy in the pain felt by others?

A brief history of schadenfreude – taking pleasure in the misfortune of another – from ancient China to Charlie Chaplin

by David P Barash

Ancient Chinese painting of a funeral scene with mourners in white robes around a deceased person on a raised platform.

Rituals and celebrations

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Rituals create community by translating our love into action

For the Confucian Xunzi, love and gratitude are not just feelings in response to events but possibilities for social action

by Curie Virág

Historic map filled with fantastical sea creatures, ships, and compass roses, depicting the ocean’s geographical and mythical elements.

History of ideas

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How 12th-century Genoese merchants invented the idea of risk

From the docks of 12th-century Genoa to the gambling tables of today, risk is a story that we tell ourselves about the future

by Karla Mallette

Photo of a dark ocean at night with two lightning strikes illuminating the cloudy sky.

Wonder and the sublime

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Is the sublime a hopelessly old-fashioned Euro-Romantic ideal?

The sublime is not only for the Romantics, nor just about gender or overcoming nature. It’s in the thrills-and-chills of emotion

by Robert Clewis

A portrait painting of a woman with a solemn expression and dark hair against a dark, textured background.

Emotions

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Are you sure you know what emotions are?

It’s tricky to define what an emotion is: is surprise one, or something else? Here are a few simple rules to get started

by Andrew Ortony

A historical portrait of a severe woman in Victorian attire, seated with a bonnet on the table beside her, in an ornate fold frame.

Anxiety

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After many false starts, this might be the true age of anxiety

If anxiety is more common than ever, it’s also more treatable. But excessive nervousness wasn’t always taken so seriously

by Jason Schnittker

Wooden sign of a cow with a “SEAFOOD” sign below, set against a background of a red barn, gravel and a tree.

Learning and education

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Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a symptom of learning

Perplexed? Embrace it! Confusion is a sign of learning, but the key is finding the sweet spot of productive confusion

by Juliette Vazard

People standing outside terraced houses, clapping. The houses are decorated with Welsh flags and rainbow flags.

History of emotions

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True gratitude is a communal emotion, not a wellness practice

Positive psychology touts the personal benefits of gratitude. It’s actually a challenging emotion that binds communities

by Michal Zechariah

Medieval painting of a sad woman with long hair holding a sword to her chest, with onlookers behind a wall in the background.

History of emotions

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Suicide in Medieval England was not simply a crime or sin

Like the slow engraving of an imprint on stone: compassion and care for those struggling with suicide in medieval England

by Rebecca F McNamara