# The Motivational Theory of Emotions **Opening (not a real abstract):** Having an emotion customarily involves appraising a stimulus a particular way, feeling a particular way, and being motivated to act a particular way. These three aspects offer distinctive entry points for explaining what emotions are. Philosophers have so far built their theories primarily around appraisals and feelings. As a result, two research programs have dominated the philosophy of emotions over the past forty years: Cognitivism and Perceptualism. I will argue that neither research program has been able to explain how emotions motivate us to act. This is an especially significant omission because it is ultimately what we do when we emote that produces significant personal and social consequences. To remedy this state of affairs, I begin by illustrating three features of emotional motivation that neither Cognitivism nor Perceptualism have been able to provide an integrated account for: impulsivity, flexibility, and bodily underpinnings. **Authors:** [[Andrea Scarantino]]