Abstract
This essay offers a cultural history of spleen conditions in Chinese medical texts. Known as one of the most ‘interior’ of the Yin organs, the spleen manifested the diseases related to the emotions that were often deadly. Among the emotions, overthinking was a particular danger to the spleen. The thinking was not only an element of cognition but also a category of feeling. The spleen defined temperaments and was affected by temperaments, and shaped one’s taste, preferences for flavours and sensitivity to flavours. Specific sounds, colours and emotions both oriented and potentially harmed the organs. In considering the broad functions of the spleen, this paper thus interrogates the ontological category of emotions, where rather than functioning as an object against reason, emotions included forms of cognition and thinking.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | The Routledge History of Emotions in the Modern World |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
Pages | 167-182 |
Number of pages | 16 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781000614121 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780367902438 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2022 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Arts and Humanities