Emotion, Feeling, and Social Behavior: The Brain Perspective

Antonio Damasio, a renowned neuroscientist and author, has significantly shaped our understanding of the neural underpinnings of decision-making, emotion, language, memory, and consciousness. Through his groundbreaking research and thought-provoking writings, Damasio has shed light on the profound impact of emotions on our cognitive processes and self-perception. His work not only elucidates how certain emotions are fundamental to our survival but also argues that our internal emotional regulatory mechanisms shape our greatest cultural achievements.

One of Damasio's seminal contributions is his widely acclaimed book, Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. This influential work, which won the Science & Vie prize and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award, has been translated into more than 30 languages. In his subsequent book, The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness, Damasio delves deeper into the exploration of consciousness and bodily sensations. Recognized as one of the ten best books of 2001 by the New York Times Book Review, this work further solidifies Damasio's standing as a leading authority in the field. By elucidating how our physical experiences shape our conscious awareness, Damasio unveils the intricate interplay between body and emotion in the formation of our subjective experiences.

In this lecture Damasio explores joy, sorrow, and the intricacies of the feeling brain, further deepening our understanding of the complex relationship between emotion and cognition.