Gurevich P.S. Human Tears, Oh Human Tears... (Phenomenology of Emotional States)

Abstract: In his article Gurevich shows that modern European culture is mostly rational. Historically, already in Ancient philosophy, human has been evaluated as a thinking being in the first place. Max Weber underlined that rationality is the destiny of Western civilization. It was the place where science and philosophy arose. The desire of European philosophers to uncover all aspects of reasoning that sublimates human and guarantees his well-being created suspicion towards the emotional side of human life. Throughout centuries human passions have been considered to be a great harm and impediment for the mind. That led to the devaluation of the role of emotional life in our culture. The author of the present article has used the methodology of the philosophy of culture that demonstrates the variety of mental skills and values and life styles. The research is also based on basic provisions of Jungian philosophy. For the first time in the academic literature the author conducts a psychological expertise of different philosophical texts. The author enters into polemics with Mikhail Epstein who has written the book 'From Knowing to Creating' and believes that integral personality is closely related to feelings. Giving a high appraise of the research in general and supporting Epstein's orientation at rehabilitation of the role of emotions and feelings in philosophy and psychology, the author of the present article argues against considering one of the functions described in Jungian classicification to be universal. According to the author, all functions are equal in Jungian classification, however, as elements of the psychological structure of an individual these functions are subject to the principle of hierarchy. 

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