Abstract

In this article I make some considerations about the nature of cognitive processes underlying the public deliberation. By making use of philosophical and psychological research in the field of cognitive science, I discuss the specific role of emotional processes. The topic of the public deliberations may be investigated in connection with a more general problem, that is, the relationship between emotions and rationality. In §1 I shortly discuss the rationalist models and I explain why these models assign a negative role to emotions towards human deliberation. In §2 I examine Marcus' theory of affective intelligence in order to acknowledge to the emotions a positive role in rationality. I conclude by arguing that such positive role can safeguard more areas of public deliberation in human society.