Formalizing the Non-Informational Nature of Emotions: An Ontological Analysis of Affective Experience

This paper investigates the ontological status of emotions and subjective experiences from the perspective of information theory. Through analysis of informational criteria (codability, transmissibility, reproducibility, and verifiability), it is demonstrated that emotions fundamentally fail to meet the requirements for classification as informational objects. Concrete examples (nostalgia, physical pain, musical catharsis) show the impossibility of reducing emotional states to informational processes. The conclusions have significant implications for philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, and communication ethics, indicating the existence of an irreducible dimension of human experience.

Publication Details

Journal
PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation)
Published
2025-01-01
Primary Topic
Cognitive Science and Education Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Formalizing the Non-Informational Nature of Emotions: An Ontological Analysis of Affective Experience

PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation)
Cognitive Science and Education Research
article

Formalizing the Non-Informational Nature of Emotions: An Ontological Analysis of Affective Experience

article en

Abstract

This paper investigates the ontological status of emotions and subjective experiences from the perspective of information theory. Through analysis of informational criteria (codability, transmissibility, reproducibility, and verifiability), it is demonstrated that emotions fundamentally fail to meet the requirements for classification as informational objects. Concrete examples (nostalgia, physical pain, musical catharsis) show the impossibility of reducing emotional states to informational processes. The conclusions have significant implications for philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, and communication ethics, indicating the existence of an irreducible dimension of human experience.

PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation)
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 46%
Cognitive Science and Education Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Formalizing the Non-Informational Nature of Emotions: An Ontological Analysis of Affective Experience · PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS