Feelings, Emotions, and Aesthetic Experience

Overview

Affectivity describes the experience of feelings and emotions. The sphere of affectivity is highly relevant in organizations and management, as well as in other areas of life, which explains the attention currently paid to this phenomenon by philosophy, psychology, and neurophysiology. There are somatic aspects of emotions — activities in the brain — and cognitive ones. It seems reasonable to consider both aspects simultaneously.

Affectivity focuses on an object and is related to pleasure or pain. In addition, feelings and emotions involve the subjectivity of the person, in terms of consciousness and internal experience.

Feelings and emotions are often seen as irrational drivers of human behavior. However, while they are not rational, they are not necessarily irrational. Although they can run contrary to human fulfillment and even be destructive of it, they can also be aligned with reason and reinforce practical rationality for the ends of suitable behavior in a given circumstance.

Emotions inform us and provide valuable knowledge in such a way that a complete reflection should include “I feel” as well as “I think” or “I believe.”

The perception of beauty and the corresponding aesthetic experience is a significant anthropological feature. Aesthetic experience is related to both the intellectual and the affective perception of objects, accompanied by a particular internal sense of attraction and joy.

Aesthetic experience has scarcely been considered in organizational studies and management up until now. However, it is increasingly valued, especially in marketing.