Emosphere: A theoretical approach to human emotional communication in a cultural context

Authors

• Teija Waaramaa Tampereen yliopisto
• Heikki Mäki-Kulmala

Abstract

The paper introduces a theory of “emosphere”. It is based on Yuri Lotman’s concept of semiosphere, where signs get their meanings only in the dialogue across and over their boundaries. This is also the case with the emosphere: the dialogic sphere of emotions exists before a single emotion, e.g. anger becomes anger only when it is distinguished from fear or joy. This dialogue, a continuous process of changes, a layered universe of emotions, forms a hermeneutic circle: new knowledge is filtered by the previously earned knowledge, and vice versa, new knowledge modifies earlier knowledge. The theory of emosphere aims to conceptualize some basic communicational and wider social questions (nature vs. culture, individual vs. universal, and especially their interaction) and to show that sense precedes emotions.