The historical development of emotional intelligence can be traced through the ages by shedding light on the essence of the relationship between emotions and thinking. We will start by defining the concepts of thinking and emotion, focusing on the structural interplay of their core components.
Concept of Emotion:
Emotion is a fundamental, innate state in human nature. It is a spontaneous and unregulated state that takes a person out of their usual state. It is characterized by excitement, arousal, tension, and discontinuity. Emotions can manifest as anger, laughter, sadness, or tears. Emotion is a movement within the self, varying in intensity and disturbance. It can be influenced by various factors, including personal ones related to self-development, and social ones linked to upbringing, culture, and society.
Emotions consist of four fundamental components:
Biological components, including genetic factors, neural factors, and gland secretions.
Environmental components, encompassing material and social environmental factors.
Cognitive components, involving cognitive aspects like language, verbal and non-verbal signals, body language, perception, and memory.
Non-cognitive aspects such as motivation.
It is evident through the cognitive component of emotion that there is a close relationship between thinking and emotion.
Concept of Thinking:
Thinking is a purposeful cognitive activity that the mind uses to organize its experiences in a novel way to meet life's demands. Thinking comprises three components:
Cognitive processes.
Knowledge specific to the content or subject matter.
Personal preparedness and factors (attitudes, objectivity, inclinations).
The overlap between thinking, which includes preparedness and personal factors, and emotion and its cognitive components is apparent. The historical roots of emotional intelligence can be found in understanding the underlying connection between the systems of human thinking and emotion. Philosophical perspectives on this relationship revolved around three main directions:
First Direction: Dominance of Emotion over Reason:
This direction highlights the significant issue of ancient divisions of the human mind. It acknowledges the dominance of emotion over reason. This perspective is in line with the view of Jupiter, the king of the gods, who granted emotion a superiority over reason. There are two minds before reason: the angry mind and the appetitive mind, capable of constantly pushing it towards submission and surrender. In an unequal struggle, the mind stands alone, powerless against the two tyrants of desire and anger, diminishing its wisdom and its ability to control them, causing it to submit.
This perspective completely neglects any signs that may indicate an attempt to recognize the positive role of emotions or to deal with them constructively.
Second Direction: Balance between Emotion and Reason:
This direction focused on the old divisions of the human mind but with a more balanced view that differentiates the power of reason from the power of emotion. It argues that the problem lies not in emotional states but in the health of these emotions and how they are expressed. Aristotle spoke of the intelligent management of our emotional lives. He pointed out that the problem is not in the emotional state but in the health of that emotion and how it is expressed.
Salovey emphasized the roots of this philosophical direction, asserting that the ancient Greek philosophers recognized the role of emotion and sentiment in directing behavior. He mentioned that Aristotle discussed the management of our emotional lives with intelligence. He emphasized that the issue is not the emotional state itself but the health of that emotion and its expression.
The Romantic movement in the early 19th century also emphasized that the instincts rooted in emotions and empathy could provide insights that reason alone could not provide. The true roots of emotional intelligence lie in the distinctive signals that philosophers and scientists used to emphasize the importance of emotions and their active role in human life. This significance took on a crucial role at the beginning of the 20th century. Anatomical discoveries about the structure of the brain highlighted the significant role played by the emotional brain in guiding an individual's behavior, thought processes, and goal setting.
Salovey emphasized the great influence of these discoveries on the development of the concept of emotional intelligence, affecting both the psychological and educational levels. On a psychological level, the interest and focus on the role of emotions in organizing an individual's psychological life increased. It showed the impact of emotions on personal and social life, focusing on the reflection of emotions on personal and social life. Freud emphasized the relationship between thinking and emotion and the importance of self-esteem. Freud emphasized the significance of individualism and the importance of defense mechanisms in adapting to the environment and ensuring the individual's interaction with the environment.
The third perspective on the relationship between thinking and emotion. The third perspective focuses on the active role of integrating the cognitive and emotional system in an individual's psychological and social life.
Third Direction: Integration of Cognitive and Emotional Systems:
The third perspective centers on the effective role played by the integration of the cognitive and emotional systems in an individual's psychological and social life. This perspective's roots can be traced deep into history, as ancient Greek philosophy generally leans towards the Golden Mean or a balanced and constructive harmony between reason and emotion. This idea was captured by Nietzsche, who viewed this phenomenon in Greek philosophy as a reflection of the Greek sense that emotions are not vices in themselves. The extremes or deviations in emotions are vices, while harmony and balance between reason and emotion are virtues. This perspective highlights the significance of emotions as a genuine guide to insight and wisdom.
Moreover, the Romantic movement in the early 19th century emphasized that the intuition rooted in emotions and empathy could offer insights that reason alone could not provide. The true origins of emotional intelligence lay in the distinctive signals that philosophers and scientists have emphasized about the importance of emotions and their active role in human life.
These philosophical ideas have played a significant role in the development of the concept of emotional intelligence, affecting both psychological and educational aspects. On a psychological level, the focus on the role of emotions in organizing an individual's psychological life has increased. The impact of emotions on personal and social life has been explored. Freud highlighted the relationship between thinking and emotion, as well as the importance of self-esteem and the role of defense mechanisms in adaptation and the individual's interaction with the environment.
From this perspective, it becomes clear that emotional intelligence can play a crucial role in preventing many psychological disorders and accelerating their treatment.
References:
Daniel Goleman, "Emotional Intelligence," Translated by Lili Al-Jebali, Al-Aalim Al-Maarifa Magazine, Issue 262, October.
Will Durant, "The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers," Translated by Fathallah Mohamed Al-Mushaishai, 5th ed., Al-Maaref Library, Beirut.
Peter Salovey, John Mayer, and David Caruso, "The Positive Psychology of Emotional Intelligence," In C.R. Snyder and S.J. Lopez (Eds.), "Handbook of Positive Psychology," New York: Oxford University Press.
Peter Salovey, Brian T. Bedell, John B. Detweiler, and John Mayer, "Current Directions in Emotional Intelligence Research," In M. Lewis and J.M. Havilland-Jones (Eds.), "Handbook of Emotions," New York: Guilford Press.
John Mayer, "Emotion Intelligence, and Emotional Intelligence," In J. P. Forgas (Ed.), "Handbook of Affect and Social Cogniti
on," Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Albert Ellis, "The Evolution of Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy," In J.K. Zeig (Ed.), "The Evolution
of Psychotherapy," New York: Brunner/Mazel.
David D. Burns, "Feeling Good," William Morrow, New York.
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