THE STRANGE ORDER OF THINGS

Modern neurobiology has finally allowed us to see feelings for what they really are: mental experiences of the current state of the living body. It is surprising to discover, however, that feelings also regulate life in the social space —they are the engines and arbiters behind moral behavior, justice, politics and economics.

Modern neurobiology has finally allowed us to see feelings for what they really are: mental experiences of the current state of the living body. Feelings range from well-being and pleas- ure to malaise and pain. Feelings are not mere decorations. On the contrary, they are indispen- sable, practical sentinels. They alert the mind to deviations of the life process that require cor- rection, and thus complement the automatic devices that regulate life non-consciously. It is well established that feelings help us with basic life regulation, e.g. - hunger, thirst, the regula- tion of temperature. It is surprising to discover, however, that feelings also regulate life in the social space —they are the engines and arbiters behind moral behavior, justice, politics and economics. Even more surprising, feelings prompted the incessant questioning regarding origins and destiny that is unique to humanity. That questioning, in turn, is likely to have led to the development of religions and the arts. Feelings launched the thousand ships that became cultures and civilizations. Antonio Damasio is University Professor, David Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience, Psychol- ogy and Philosophy, and Director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Trained as both neurologist and neuroscientist, Damasio has made seminal contributions to the understanding of brain processes underlying emotions, feel- ings, and consciousness. Damasio has discussed his research and ideas in several books, among them Descartes’ Error, The Feeling of What Happens, Looking for Spinoza and Self Comes to Mind, which are translated worldwide and taught in many universities.