In What Sense, Are Emotions Cognitive?

  Zeynab Al-Sadat Mirshamsi Emotional modes are among man's most important behaviors and influence all his behaviors and decision makings due to their particular features.  Martha Craven Nussbaum is a contemporary western philosopher who has put on her agenda the philosophical study of emotion. He tries to define emotion, which is a human component, as a basis for ethics in contemporary western where ethics has lost his main bases. To this end, she formulates the value- cognitive theory of emotions and studies emotions as human component. The present paper seeks to investigate the question how emotions are cognitive. What are the parameters and features of emotions as considered cognitive? Does the fact that emotions are cognitive mean that they are conscious and reasonable? Emotions are neither conscious nor reasonable; rather, they are the outcome of unconscious affairs in man's mind. Social norms, physical conditions, metaphysical beliefs, language and everyday habits along with individual's emotions, historical perceptions and sensory comprehensions form some values for him/her, which result in issuing value-seeking orders.