From Phantasm to Interoception: Comparing Bodily Affectivity in Aquinas and Barrett

This paper engages the intersection of affective neuroscience and medieval philosophical theology by comparing Lisa Feldman Barrett's theory of constructed emotion, specifically the role of interoception, with Thomas Aquinas's account of phantasms in shaping human affect. Barrett argues that emotions are constructed concepts emerging from interoceptive bodily signals, while Aquinas argues that phantasms are sensory representations generated by the sense appetite and stored in the intellect, which enable human passions. Despite radically different metaphysical frameworks, both recognize that emotion depends on a structured interplay between body and cognition. I argue that interoception and phantasms function in both frameworks as analogous mediators in the formation of human affect, highlighting an unexpected convergence between contemporary cognitive science and Thomistic theological anthropology. This comparison underscores that insights from medieval theology can still illuminate contemporary discussions about embodiment, affect, and the nature of human emotion.