more immediately, on his psychological studies of the emotions and the
imaginary realm.
Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions
In Sartre’s valedictory interview with Beauvoir ( 1974 ) we find the
following exchange:
b. Was there a relation betweenTranscendence of the EgoandThe
Psyche ́?
s. Yes. It was in terms ofTranscendence of the Egothat I conceivedThe
Psyche ́.The Psyche ́was the description of what is called the
“psychological.” Philosophically speaking, how does one manage to
live subjectivity? That was explained there along with the emotions,
the sentiments...
b. You made them psychological objects situated outside of
consciousness [like the ego]. That was your great idea...It was a
rather large essay that covered the entire psychological domain.
s. It would have been as important a work asBeing and Nothingness.
b. And didn’tThe Theory of the Emotionsform part ofThe Psyche ́?
s. Yes, it was a part of it.
b. Then why did you keepThe Theory of the Emotions– which you were
right to preserve; it’s very good – and did not save the rest ofThe
Psyche ́?
s. Because the remainder ofThe Psyche ́repeated Husserl’s ideas that
I had already assimilated, which I have expressed in another style, but
which were nonetheless pure Husserl; it wasn’t original. I keptThe
Emotionsfor their originality. It was a good study of certainErlebnisse
[experiences] that can be called emotions; I showed that they were not
isolated givens but were relative to consciousness.
b. That they were animated by intentionality.
s. Yes. That’s an idea that I still retain. Though it’s not originally mine,
it is one that I continue to find necessary.
(Ce ́r, 230 – 231 )
Half the size ofThe Imaginary, this brief “sketch” offers a brilliant
challenge to the psychological theories of the emotions current at the
time. It is another study in phenomenological psychology whose
originality lies in its unstinting application of Husserl’s theory of
Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions 95