Picturing the authenticity of emotions
In our everyday lives, we talk about authentic and inauthentic emotions. Is this just a façon de parler that does not have any reference in the “real world?” I will support the thesis that it makes sense to talk about the authenticity of emotions in our everyday practice, disregarding the question of whether or not authentic emotions exist in the ontological sense of the term “exist.” This article provides some vignettes that mirror different facets of the authenticity and inauthenticity of emotions. Based on these examples, I discuss a recent article by KevinMulligan and suggest three criteria for the ascription of emotional authenticity to a person: qualitative experience, rationality, and coherence.