Space and Emotions: a proposal from Historical Ontology

Abstract

Here, we propose a new interdisciplinary approach to research on emotions from the perspectives of history and philosophy. To this end, we question appraisal theory and advocate a social definition of emotions based on Lisa Feldman Barrett’s theory of constructed emotions. Thus, following Ian Hacking, we contend that emotions are not natural, but human kinds, and propose historical ontology as our methodology. Specifically, we explore how material culture and our emotional experiences are related and propose Hacking’s “matrix” as an answer. Through a case study of the Jesús Nazareno Hospital for Incurable Women (Madrid, Spain) in the 1870s, we identify and test a series of theoretical concepts that facilitate an analysis of the material components that build, shape and determine our emotional experiences.