Life
The Pursuit of Pleasure
Pleasure plays a crucial role in all of man's daily activities. My life, like that of the other people around me is governed by the pursuit of pleasure, in various forms. The word "pleasure" can certainly not be restricted to the activities that actually cause a definite, sensory enjoyment, such as eating, sleeping or having sex. The forms that pleasure takes range from sensory, to attitudinal enjoyment, as Feldman emphasizes: "A person experiences sensory pleasure at a time if he feels pleasurable sensations then[...] Attitudinal pleasures are different. A person takes attitudinal pleasure in some state of affairs if he enjoys it, is pleased about it, is glad that it is happening, is delighted by it."(Feldman,111) Thus, basically any activity is meant to produce pleasure in some way or another. For example, I may do something that at first sight seems to be an obligation, such as cleaning my room, or working on an assignment for school, and still pursue pleasure. The pursuit of pleasure in this case would not be a sensory one, but an attitudinal one: accomplishing my tasks would eventually cause me pleasure, in the form of a certain desirable state of affairs, like having a clean room or taking a good grade in school. Also, I think we pursue pleasure in most of the choices we make, such as taking an umbrella when it is raining and we have to walk, so as not to feel the discomfort of getting our clothes wet and so on. In most of the cases, I and people in general are pursuing pleasure, by doing what we like and trying to avoid anything that gives us displeasure. Thus, although I cannot always target those pleasures that would be delightful, such as doing only what gives me immediate gratification, in one form or another, my life is governed by the pursuit of pleasure. Many times, I feel the imperative desire of doing things in a certain order, thus prioritizing pleasure. Thus, as Freud observed, the pleasure principle, in its various forms governs the life of all human beings.
Works Cited
Feldman, Fred. Pleasure and the Good Life: Concerning the Nature, Varieties and Plausibility of Hedonism. Oxford: Clarendon, 2004.
Nicolay, Claire. "The Pursuit of Pleasure: Gender, Space and Architecture in Regency London." Criticism. 45(1), 2003.
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