A tendency or philosophy that emphasizes emotions over reason, logic, or facts; the practice of appealing to feelings rather than intellect.
Formed from 'emotional' + the suffix '-ism' (from Greek '-ismos' meaning 'state or quality of'). Dating to 19th century usage in philosophy and criticism.
Philosophy professors warn against 'emotionalism' in arguments, but neuroscience now shows emotions aren't the opposite of thinking—they're essential to good decision-making, so the traditional criticism might be backwards!
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