ABSTRACT
Aron Gurwitsch is an important figure in the historical development of phenomenology. What he has to contribute to the phenomenology of emotion is limited but interesting. Gurwitsch ultimately denies that emotion is a necessary constituent of consciousness. However, the claim means only that emotion is not formally necessary for consciousness; it may be materially necessary for embodied beings like ourselves. Even then, one should recognize the possibility of cognitive deficits. The present work intends to locate emotion’s place in Gurwitsch’s understanding of consciousness. After briefly commenting on what he says about emotion, this essay reconstructs Gurwitsch’s view of emotions in the light of his general theory of consciousness. Central to Gurwitsch’s mature understanding of consciousness are his functional categories of theme, thematic field, and margin. Finally, I shall also respond to Giovanna Colombetti’s critique of Gurwitsch’s view of emotion.
