Dominik Perler is Professor of Philosophy at Humboldt-Universität in Berlin. Tony Crawford is a freelance translator and editor in Berlin.

• Preface Preface to the English Edition Introduction 1. A Philosophical Approach to Emotions 2. Why Historical Analysis? 3. A Twofold Transformation I. Thomas Aquinas: Emotions as Sensual Movements 1. A Simple Explanation? 2. The Soul and Its Faculties 3. The Characterization and Classification of the Emotions 4. The Cognitive Content of Emotions: Fear and Anger 5. How Can Emotions Be Rationally Controlled? II. John Duns Scotus and William of Ockham: Emotions in the Will 1. Two Kinds of Emotions 2. Pain as a Sensual Suffering 3. Sadness and Free Will 4. The Separation of the Parts of the Soul and Its Consequences 5. Love , Enjoyment and Voluntary Control III. Michel de Montaigne: A Skeptical View of Emotions1. A Theoretical Approach? 2. Dynamic Pyrrhonism 3. Applying the Skeptical Method: Sadness, Fear and Anger 4. Is A Systematic Order of the Emotions Possible? 5. Natural Moderation Instead of Control IV. René Descartes: A Dualist View of Emotions 1. A Mechanistic Theory of Feelings? 2. The Functional Unity of Body and Mind 3. Emotions as Representations 4. Wonder and the Taxonomy of Emotions 5. Self-control through Self-respect V. Baruch de Spinoza: Emotions as Psychophysical Units 1. A Naturalistic Approach 2. The Metaphysical Frame: Monism and Causal Order 3. Passive and Active Emotions 4. An Intellectualistic and Egoistic Error? 5. A Rationalistic Therapy Conclusion BibliographyNotes

The main aim of the book is to investigate how medieval theologians and philosophers of early modern period deal with the human emotions, in order to control, modify and even overcome them...Perler's thesis is that there are important points of correspondence between medieval, modern and contemporary speculations despite the apparent differences. For example, Thomas Aquinas, Ockham, Descartes and Spinoza unanimously agree, as do many present-day philosophers, that emotions are not simply feelings, but states with a cognitive content. This is why emotions can be modified and influenced by other cognitive states.