“The Philosophy of Crying: Why We Weep and What It Means”

WORKSHOP

Date: Monday 1 June 2026

Time: 15:00 - 17:00

Location: Gula Villan, Stockholm University Campus Frescati (located just behind the Stockholm University Library), room Ninox. Enter through the right-hand side door of the Villa (the current entry code will be sent out beforehand) and walk upstairs.

We are pleased to invite you to the fourth workshop of the Network for the Study of Emotions. It will take the form of an afternoon seminar with Eric Cullhed, professor of Ancient Greek at Uppsala University, as invited guest.

Rembrandt (or studio), A Woman Weeping, c. 1644. Oil on panel. Detroit Institute of Arts

Eric Cullhed will present his recent book Gråt: Tårarnas filosofi – från antiken till i dag (Natur & Kultur, 2026; English title: The Philosophy of Crying: Why We Weep and What it Means) and we will thereafter leave plenty of room for discussion.

“The Philosophy of Crying: Why We Weep and What It Means
Despite centuries of attention from philosophers, historians, psychologists, biologists, and theologians, no sustained philosophical conversation about crying has ever taken form. Theories have been proposed in isolation, each advancing a single explanation while largely ignoring what came before – a striking contrast to the rich philosophical tradition surrounding laughter and humour.

This book sets out to stage the debate that has been missing. It identifies seven major answers to the question "What is crying?" – from classical accounts of tears as expressions of suffering, through theories of emotional catharsis, self-consolation, attachment, value recognition, and powerlessness, to modern ethological accounts of crying as a strategic signal. Each is examined in turn, its insights and limitations weighed against the others.

Drawing on Karl Bühler's model of communication, the book proposes a synthesis: crying simultaneously expresses a mental state ranging from humility to utter powerlessness, represents something the crier regards as serious or deeply valuable, and appeals to others for compassion, care, or forbearance. Every tear contains at least a trace of all three functions, though in varying proportions. Previous theories fell short, the argument runs, because each attempted to reduce crying to just one of these dimensions.”

An English translation of the book’s introduction chapter will be sent out beforehand to all pre-registered participants.

The seminar will be combined with fika. After the seminar, we plan to have dinner together (at participants’ own expense). Venue and further details TBA.

The book cover of Gråt Tårarnas filosofi - från antiken till idag by Eric Cullhed.

Gråt Tårarnas filosofi - från antiken till idag by Eric Cullhed. Creator: John Persson

Registration

To participate, please send an email to annika.berg@idehist.su.se before 25 May 2026. This allows us to share reading material, to send out the current entry code to Gula Villan and to plan for a sufficient amount of fika. Please mention any dietary restrictions, and also if you want to join the dinner!

We look forward to seeing you!

Kind regards,
Sara Ekström, Annika Berg and Nike Stolpe Wikström
(Network for the Study of Emotions)