Abstract

This chapter assesses a relatively neglected alternative to the evaluative content view (ECV). According to what I call the content-priority view (CPV), emotional experiences do _not_ have evaluative content. Rather, emotional experiences are responses to forms of _pre-emotional value awareness_, as what we are (or seem to be) aware of in having certain non-emotional evaluative states (where the latter are temporally prior to emotion). So, in the good cases, the view claims that emotions are responses to values that we are _in fact_ aware of; alternatively, when the prior evaluative state falls short of this factive value-awareness they are responses to what we seem to be aware of (i.e. apparent values). The chapter argues that this view is unsuccessful as an account of the content of emotional experience. Numerous candidates for the relevant state of pre-emotional value awareness are considered and found wanting.