The Pleasure of Weeping: The Novelty of a Research

Remembering Lucretius, Du Bos recalled that “watching a ship from the shore fighting the waves that want to swallow it up is exciting”. One of the features of Burke’s thought is to push to the limits the subjective possibilities of a spectator, who is explicitly required to bear a horror show rather than to appreciate its intrinsic mimetic-representative qualities. Mendelssohn openly admits having criticized Du Bos’s theory too hastily, and his definition of mixed feelings – pleasure and displeasure – also rejects Burke’s theory. In Mendelssohn’s view, even the appreciation of an imperfect object can increase the feeling of self-consciousness. Nowadays, the pleasure of weeping is well understood by philosophy and it has been debated since the eighteenth century. New research in empirical aesthetics has recently contributed to the field and its further development could help to productively redefine philosophical research. Unfortunately, previous research has been partially flawed by an insufficient understanding of the philosophical debate. A thorough consideration of the philosophical and theoretical frame associated with experimental research should underpin any further research on the complex ramifications of the dark side of human emotions.