We should study the history of emotions

According to Psyche, a recent profile of an emotional historian sparked considerable criticism—but the backlash, the publication argues, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the field. The history of emotions examines how feelings and emotional expressions have evolved across cultures and centuries. Critics may assume this work is merely nostalgic or indulgent, but historians in this field actually investigate how historical and social changes reshape human emotional experience. Understanding emotions through a historical lens reveals that what feels natural and universal to us is often the product of specific historical moments. The piece suggests critics are missing this deeper project.

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