Studies in the Evolutionary Psychology of Feeling

"Studies in the Evolutionary Psychology of Feeling" by Hiram M. Stanley is a late 19th-century scientific text that investigates the nature of feeling through the lenses of biology and evolution. Stanley emphasizes diving into controversial and complex areas of psychological study. Through an introspective, study-based, approach he hopes to resolve gaps in current psychology. He criticizes the existing psychological approaches for not truly understanding feeling and instead being too focused on philosophical ideas. He advocates for a scientific way of understanding emotions and psychological states, researching feeling, pain, and pleasure. This lays the base for a deeper scientific understanding of emotions by understanding their evolutionary roots and connections between the body and the mind.