In this paper, I will argue that, contrary to what is generally assumed in the debate on expressive action, we do not have good reasons to exclude facial and bodily expressions of emotion such as smiling or frowning from the category of actions. For this purpose, I will compare facial and bodily expressions of emotion with simple expressive actions, such as jumping for joy or covering one’s face in shame. I will try to show that simple expressive actions cannot be (...) presented as actions while excluding facial and bodily expressions of emotion from this condition. My contention will then be that either both sorts of behaviour are to be identified as actions or neither is. The latter sounds rather implausible, though, as we would have to assimilate jumping for joy or covering one’s face in shame to spasms, which conflicts with the way we relate to such behaviours. My conclusion will then be that both simple expressive actions and facial and bodily expressions of emotion should be included within the category of actions, at least on the basis of the main assumptions in the current debate on expressive action. (shrink)

This paper argues against the widely held view according to which the main difference between shame and pride, and the rest of our emotions – such as fear, hate, surprise, joy or jealousy – is that the former are necessarily directed at the self as the intentional object of the emotion while the latter are typically oriented towards objects in the world other than the self. I examine three arguments in favour of this view and claim that further arguments should (...) be provided in order to show that shame and pride are necessarily directed at oneself – the doer – rather than at an object different from the self – the deed. Este artículo cuestiona la concepción ampliamente aceptada según la cual la principal diferencia entre la vergüenza y el orgullo, y el resto de nuestras emociones —miedo, odio, sorpresa, alegría o celos— es que las primeras se dirigen necesariamente al yo como objeto intencional de la emoción, mientras que las segundas se encuentran típicamente orientadas hacia objetos del mundo distintos del yo. Examino tres argumentos a favor de esta concepción y sostengo que el defensor de la misma debería aportar nuevos argumentos que muestren que la vergüenza y el orgullo se dirigen necesariamente a uno mismo —el agente— y no a un objeto distinto del yo —el acto. (shrink)