Emotions, Qualia, And Consciousness

Taken from a conference held by the International School of Biocybernetics, these papers explore the role of emotion in scientific or philosophical accounts of consciousness. They should be of interest to researchers in biocybernetics, neurosciences, cognitive sciences and psychology.

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The experience of emotion is a ubiquitous component of the stream of consciousness; emotional qualia interact with other contents and processes of consciousness in complex ways. Recent research has supported the hypothesis that important functional aspects of emotion can operate outside the conscious awareness. Primary types of emotions are found in animals, while secondary, more complex types are involved in interpersonal relationships. Emotions both influence genetic repair mechanisms of individuals and are responsible for group behavior. Many scholars and scientists believe that no scientific or philosophic account of consciousness can be complete without an understanding of the role of emotion.