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Rational Emotions: An Evolutionary Perspective

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  • Rojhat Avsar

    (Columbia College Chicago)

Abstract

Despite the existence of a compelling literature that articulates the function of emotions from an evolutionary standpoint, the role of emotions in motivating economic behavior has not been systematically studied. In those rare instances in which emotions are invoked to explain large-scale economic phenomena (e.g., market euphoria), they are usually treated as a form of constraint on otherwise rational behavior. By integrating experimental findings scattered across various fields into coherent narrative, this paper offers an accessible framework for understanding the evolutionary origins of our emotions; their role in supporting higher-level cognitive faculties; and their constitutive function in facilitating impersonal exchange, and coordination at the organizational level on which the modern economy is built.

Suggested Citation

  • Rojhat Avsar, 2021. "Rational Emotions: An Evolutionary Perspective," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 297-314, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:revepe:v:2:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s43253-020-00032-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s43253-020-00032-1
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