Elaboration

An emotion is a specific type of feeling, which not only includes a sense of the need satisfying significance of some aspect of reality to oneself, but also the degree of such significance.

Note

¹Although this is strictly my own definition, I'm grateful for what I've learned from the inventions of two others. First, I'm grateful for Nathaniel Branden's discussion and definition of "emotion" in his book, The Psychology of Self-Esteem. Second, I'm grateful for Marshall Rosenberg's discussion of the dynamics and role of emotions and feelings in his book, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life and elsewhere.

Elaboration

Organisms exercise their capacities as means to achieve ends in an effort to satisfy their needs. Nonliving things act, but not for ends, and lack needs.

The concept "end-directed action" ultimately can be defined only ostensively. See DEFINITION (OSTENSIVE).

Notes

¹Although I characterize its nature differently, I did start thinking seriously about end-directed action in major part thanks to Ayn Rand's discussion of life's nature in her speech, "The Objectivist Ethics." This speech was reprinted in her book, The Virtue of Selfishness.

Each organism exists in a specific environment. For example, as I write this, my daughter, Aliana, lays napping on a bed. An organism's capacities – and its efforts to satisfy its needs – exist in relationship to potentials within its environment. Aliana's capacity to nap exists in relationship to the bed's potential to support her comfortably while she sleeps.

Note

¹"environment." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. www.bartleby.com/61/. [June 24 2005]

Ultimately, this concept can be defined only ostensively. See DEFINITION (OSTENSIVE).

Ultimately, this concept can be defined only ostensively. See DEFINITION (OSTENSIVE).