A Tear Is an Intellectual Thing: The Meanings of Emotion

by Jerome Neu

Is jealousy eliminable? If so, at what cost? What are the connections between pride the sin and the pride insisted on by identity politics? How can one question an individual's understanding of their own happiness or override a society's account of its own rituals? What makes a sexual desire "perverse," or particular sexual relations (such as incestuous ones) undesirable or even unthinkable? These and other questions about what sustains and threatens our identity are pursued using the resources of philosophy, psychoanalysis, and other disciplines. The discussion throughout is informed and motivated by the Spinozist hope that understanding our lives can help change them, can help make us more free.

Genres: Philosophy, Emotion, Psychology

352 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 1999

Reviews

[Scott Connelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dense and seriously academic work. Being somewhat familiar with source material like Freud, Sartre, Levi-Strauss, et al. would be helpful but is not necessary. Neu presents a great depth of understanding for the giants of modern intellect and provides all that is needed to follow his train of thought. His arguments are frequently expansive and taking notes or rereading passages for comprehension are a virtual must at times.
I would say this book will feel mildly abusive to readers looking for something of an entry into the subject matter. If, however, you are in the market for challenging and meticulously crafted arguments that dig into the meat of psychoanalysis, then you won't be disappointed with Neu.

[Barbaros Büyükelçi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will be a cornerstone on your life for understand what you feel and why for some circcumstances which is really helpfull and the humour language that the Jerome uses makes this books more fluent to read and every written word actually means something for whom read it.

So, read this book when you have a lot of time to think about it.

[Öykü Altıntaş-Atay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Az biliniyor olmasına şaşırdığım bir kitap. Hem felsefe, hem psikoloji açısından ilginç konulara değinilmiş. Doyurucu bir içeriğe sahip, özellikle "Freud ve Sapınç", "Ensestteki Problem Nedir?" "Gurur ve Kimlik" temaları okumaya değer.

[Lauren Wild · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half