A Human History of Emotion | How To Academy

Wed, 9 February 2022

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm GMT

Zoom

A Human History of Emotion

Richard Firth-Godbehere in conversation with Hannah MacInnes

Join Logo

How have our emotions shaped the course of human history? And how have our experience and understanding of emotions evolved with us?

We humans like to think of ourselves as rational creatures, who, as a species, have relied on calculation and intellect to survive. But many of the most important moments in our history had little to do with cold, hard facts and a lot to do with feelings. Events ranging from the origins of philosophy to the birth of the world’s major religions, the fall of Rome, the Scientific Revolution, and some of the bloodiest wars that humanity has ever experienced can’t be properly understood without understanding emotions.

In this livestream event, historian of emotions Richard Firth-Godbehere will take us on a fascinating and wide-ranging tour of the central and often under-appreciated role emotions have played in human societies around the world and throughout history – from Ancient Greece to Gambia, Japan, the Ottoman Empire, Britain and beyond.

Drawing on psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, art, and religious history, Richard will vividly illustrate how our understanding and experience of emotions has changed over time, and how our beliefs about feelings – and our feelings themselves – profoundly shaped us and the world we inhabit.

 

Praise for Richard Firth-Godbehere’s A Human History of Emotion:

‘A fascinating look at the profound ways in which the harnessing of human emotions has shaped world-wide history and culture. Eye-opening and thought-provoking’  – Gina Rippon, author of The Gendered Brain

‘Emotions are a much bigger part of the experience of being human than most people would ever realise. If you want to know more about emotions and how we arrived at our understanding of them, this book is exactly what you need’  – Dean Burnett, author of The Happy Brain

‘Whether you are looking for new ideas, narrative history, psychological theory, or cultural anthropology, this book will teach you something new about how people have felt about their feelings through the ages. A book like no other’  – Thomas Dixon, author of Weeping Britannia: Portrait of a Nation in Tears

How To + Subscribers receive discounts to our live, on-stage events and free access to our livestreams and video library of 600+ videos. The first month is £9.99 + VAT, thereafter £17.50 + VAT a month.

Already subscribed to How To + ?
Please Log in here

Join how to +

Richard Firth-Godbehere

Historian of Emotions

Richard Firth-Godbehere, PhD, one of the world’s leading experts on disgust and emotions, is an independent researcher and consultant in the history, language, science and philosophy of emotions, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for the History of the Emotions, Queen Mary University of London. His award-winning interdisciplinary research walks the line between history, psychology, linguistics, and futurism. He examines how understandings of emotions change over time and how these changes can influence the wider world.

Hannah MacInnes

Presenter, Podcaster and Host of How To Academy’s live programmes.

Hannah MacInnes is a broadcaster and journalist. Alongside hosting How To Academy’s live programmes and podcast, she presents a cultural show on Times Radio and interviews on-stage at a number of other major literary events. She is the host of The Klosters Forum Podcast series and has written for the Radio Times, the Evening Standard and TLS. Before going freelance she worked for 8 years at BBC Newsnight, as Planning Editor and as a Producer / Filmmaker.