EMOTION’S ROLE IN human behavior is an old debate
that has become increasingly relevant to the
computational sciences. Two-and-a-half millennia
ago, Aristotle espoused a view of emotion at times
remarkably similar to modern psychological theories,
arguing that emotions (such as anger), in moderation,
play a useful role, especially in interactions with
others. Those who express anger at appropriate
times are praiseworthy, while those lacking in anger
at appropriate times are treated as a fool. The Stoics
took a different view; four centuries after Aristotle,
Seneca considered emotions (such as anger) as a
threat to reason, arguing, “reason … is only powerful
so long as it remains isolated from emotions.” In the
18th century, David Hume radically departed from the
Stoic perspective, arguing for the key motivating role of
emotions, saying, “Reason is, and ought only to be the
slave of the passions.”
A similar dichotomy of views can be seen in the
history of artificial intelligence (AI) and agent research.