La complessità della relazione emozione-ragione

In this theoretical contribution I discuss the relationship between reason, cognition, knowledge, intelligence, on the one hand, and affection, feeling,passion, emotion, on the other. The disjunctive interpretation of this relationship, which has a long philosophical tradition and is deeply rooted in our culture and our ways of thinking, has influenced education significantly. The shift from a disjunctive perspective to a connective one, in the contextof increasing educational complexity, can promote pedagogic planning that includes a moral-relational dimension. The analysis of the Stoic theory ofpassions (particularly Chrysippus’ theory) illuminates the connections between emotional, cognitive, and moral aspects. I therefore propose to drawa parallel between the Stoic model and the relationship between experience and reflective thinking which is central to John Dewey’s philosophy of education. I will conclude by attempting to show the potential minimum conditions needed to manage an applicative educational framework that aims atpromoting critical, rational and ethically-oriented thinking on emotional experiences.