•  79
    Appreciation and emotion: Theoretical reflections on the Macarthur treatment competence study
    Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 8 (4): 359-376. 1998.
    When emotions are mentioned in the literature on mental competence, it is generally because they are thought to influence competence negatively; that is, they are thought to impede or compromise the cognitive capacities that are taken to underlie competence. The purpose of the present discussion is to explore the possibility that emotions might play a more positive role in the determination of competence. Using the MacArthur Treatment Competence Study as an example, it is argued that appreciatio…Read more
  •  24
    Response to the Commentaries
    Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology 5 (1): 93-95. 1998.
    The main purpose of my paper was to encourage discussion on the link between contemporary emotion theory and current work on mental competence. All of the commentators appear to be sympathetic to this project, although Youngner disagrees with how I have gone about it. In this response, I will try and correct a few misunderstandings and expand on several points that obviously need a far more detailed treatment than could have been provided in a single paper. I start with a reply to some of Youngn…Read more
  •  48
    Perceptual symbol systems and emotion
    Behavioral and Brain Sciences 22 (4): 612-613. 1999.
    In his target article, Barsalou cites current work on emotion theory but does not explore its relevance for this project. The connection is worth pursuing, since there is a plausible case to be made that emotions form a distinct symbolic information processing system of their own. On some views, that system is argued to be perceptual: a direct connection with Barsalou's perceptual symbol systems theory. Also relevant is the hypothesis that there may be different modular subsystems within emotion…Read more
  •  27
    In Defence of “Emotion” (review)
    Canadian Journal of Philosophy 31 (1): 133-154. 2001.
  • Consent Or Coercion? Treatment Referrals To Alcoholics Anonymous
    Journal of Ethics in Mental Health 2 1-3. 2007.
    Who says ‘hypothesis’ renounces the ambition to be coercive in his arguments William James The Varieties of Religious Experience, p. 511
  •  68
    Anorexia and the MacCAT-T Test for Mental Competence: Validity, Value, and Emotion
    Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology 13 (4): 283-287. 2006.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Anorexia and the MacCAT-T Test for Mental Competence:Validity, Value, and EmotionLouis C. Charland (bio)Keywordsmental competence, decisional capacity, anorexia, value, emotionValidity of the MacCAT-THow does one scientifically verify a psychometric instrument designed to assess the mental competence of medical patients who are asked to consent to medical treatment? Aside from satisfying technical requirements like statistical reliab…Read more