There are no higher emotions/values

[Angrboda]

I'm inclined to agree with Hammy on this. I have a model of human decision making which is based upon the idea that our behavior is motivated by a desire to minimize discomfort or anxiety (see HERE). I view it as an open question whether we are motivated to seek states that feel good like happiness and pleasure. I'm sure they fit in the picture somewhere, but if our activity is driven by the negative feelings rather than the positive ones, all this talk about the intrinsic value of positive emotions is a moot point.

I also question whether the idea that the more platonic traits like intellect and virtue are without important emotional content. Dr. Robert Burton wrote an entire book on the proposition that arriving at a conclusion results in a positive feeling state by which we recognize that we've come to a conclusion. It would seem this sort of emotional feedback would play a big part in training children to seek the emotional gratification associated with learning to perform certain tasks such as the three R's. It is this hidden sort of motivation which paints a bullseye on your ad lib speculations about the necessary value of pleasurable emotions versus those that might not be so obvious. And phenomena such as blindsight, in which we have awareness of things which have no qualia or conscious trace involved make the whole idea of mounting your theory upon your own personal introspection rather dubious. Some neuroscientists theorize that the sensations of the body and feeling are an integral part of our reasoning process. It's possible that we can live without the more salient positive emotions, but not without those bodily, visceral feelings. (See for example Antonio Damasio's work with patients with frontal lobe damage for example; they may not consciously be aware of the missing emotional feedback, but it demonstrably impacts their decision making.) So ultimately, the things you value may not turn out to be the most valuable, and your theory might be nothing more than rubbish based on flawed introspection.