Center for the History of Emotions, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Organizer: Daphne Rozenblatt (Web)

Time: April 10-11, 2017
Venue: Berlin
Proposals by: 19th February 2017

The power to prove or disprove a feeling is nowhere more strongly exhibited than in the courts of law, where emotions can determine the motives (and therefore culpability) of a defendant accused of a crime; affirm, discredit, or cast doubt upon the validity of a witness’s testimony; or determine the damages and compensation owed to the offended party. But what constitutes evidence of feeling? As a legal concept, evidence is both mutable and case specific. A court can reject and deny the admittance of evidence, can produce evidence through testimony and interrogation, and can rely upon extra-legal systems of knowledge, often times including scientific expertise. The challenges of legal evidence are further complicated by the emotions both implicit and explicit to juridical processes. Despite these ambiguities, emotions are often crucial to detecting and determining motive, intent, mens rea, etc. and affecting not only the verdict of a trial, but its broader social and political meaning. Read more … (Web)