Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T19:17:59.229Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

10 - Buridan on the Value of Emotions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2024

Spencer Johnston
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Henrik Lagerlund
Affiliation:
Stockholms Universitet
Get access

Summary

Scholars agree that Buridan’s commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics gives far more attention to Seneca’s works than other commentaries of the period do. Buridan cites Seneca on one topic after another, always respectfully and often with praise. But did his study of Seneca lead him to a generally negative view about the role of emotions in morality? On this topic scholars clearly disagree. One claims that there are hardly any positive references to the emotions in Buridan’s entire Ethics commentary. Buridan emphasizes instead that emotions must be repressed by the will. Another scholar claims, to the contrary, that Buridan is in no sense a disciple of Seneca. For example, he follows Aristotle in arguing that anger can have genuine value and should not be completely eliminated. This essay examines Buridan’s account of anger and his discussions of some other emotions to clarify his views on how emotions contribute to a virtuous life.

Type
Chapter
Information
Interpreting Buridan
Critical Essays
, pp. 178 - 198
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×