Emotions and creativity, East and West

This article is concerned with emotion, creativity, and the intersection of the two - creativity in the domain of emotion. We first present a framework for the analysis of emotion, a framework that recognizes the importance of biological influences but that also takes into account cultural and individual variations. We then describe the criteria - effectiveness, novelty, and authenticity - for judging a response as creative; the relative emphasis placed on these criteria, especially novelty and authenticity, helps account for East-West differences in aesthetic preferences (e.g., in the production and evaluation of works of art). Next, we explore the ability of individuals to be emotionally creative, that is, to acquire emotions that meet the criteria for creativity. Finally, we examine the Four-Seven Debate, a classic in Korean Neo-Confucian thought, in light of our discussion of emotions and creativity.