What the History of Emotions Can Offer to Psychologists, Economists, and Computer Scientists (Among Others)

Historians of the emotions explore how feelings-and the way they are categorized and conceptualized-have changed over time and across culture. This essay examines some key assumptions about emotion as an historical artifact. It also explores the promise of interdisciplinary research on the emotions. Finally, it looks at particular disciplines, including economics, computer science, and some subfields in psychology, which would be enriched by an historical perspective.