Concepts And Categories Of Emotion In East Asia

The topic of ‘emotion’ is studied by many scholars not only for the variety of aspects involved, but also for its extreme importance in understanding what characterizes a specific culture at a given time. In this volume, the attempt at describing concepts of emotion in various cultures of East Asia, and at defining the relevant categories, results in proposing new tools for a wider interpretation of the cultures of those areas which are deeply influenced by the Chinese cultural tradition. As emotional phenomenon has a multifaceted nature, an effort has been made to adopt a multifarious approach to its description and analysis. Contributions to this volume range, therefore, from literature to arts, from philosophy to medicine, from religion to political thought, and so forth. The classification of emotions, based as they are on human nature, is a complex issue that presents a ‘natural’ tendency to escape from any kind of classification. In this respect, observing the process of analysis of emotion from different cultural approaches is one of the qualities of this volume. The wish is that Concepts and Categories of Emotion in East Asia may turn into a useful reference for all those interested in a constructive approach to the emotional component of East-Asian cultures.