Thursday, February 4, 2010

Maybe pleasure isn't so bad afterall...

Book seven (chapters 11-14) of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics addresses the controversial topic of pleasure. Aristotle quickly points out that there are multiple views and opinions regarding pleasure as either good or bad. All three of the views provided by Aristotle hold the belief that pleasure cannot be wholly good or good at all. Aristotle states the reason for these beliefs as “Every pleasure is a perceived becoming toward [the fulfillment of something’s] nature, but no becoming is of the same kind as its end.” (Nicomachean 114) As shown by the passage, Aristotle critiques other philosophers for seeing pleasure as a process as opposed to an activity. For example, watching movies can bring us pleasure, but seeing a movie does not ultimately bring us to some final state.

Chapter twelve continues by discussing pleasure’s ultimate relation to good or bad. Aristotle believes things can be good or bad either without qualification or specifically to the person or thing. This statement points out that there are different kinds of pleasures we pursue depending on our current state and Aristotle points out we seek different pleasure depending on whether our nature is being refilled or is has already been fully restored. Aristotle finally states “…pleasures are not becomings, nor do they all even involve a becoming. They are activities, and an end [in themselves] and arise when we exercise [a capacity], not when we are coming to be [in some state].” (Nicomachean Ethics 115) While some pleasures can be perceived as “bad” (ie: those that are pleasant without qualification), pleasure comes naturally as we fulfill the desires of our nature in an unimpeded manner. Pleasure does not bring us to a final end, but pleasure is an end in itself by satisfying our natural appetites.

So where does pleasure fit in the ultimate goal of happiness? To examine this we must first believe that pleasure can be the best good. Aristotle points out everyone can agree pain is an evil and should be avoided. If something is not bad and should not be avoided then it must be good just as pleasure must be a good (in the circumstances we are seeking a good pleasure). Does this mean that the best good might be some kind of pleasure? Aristotle gives the example that if each state has an unimpeded activity which is happiness then this activity surely would be the best choice. By exercising this choice (unimpeded) we are pursuing an activity which we defined earlier as pleasure. By pursuing this “good” pleasure (an unimpeded activity) we ultimately arrive at happiness. All animals and beings pursue pleasure to a certain extent which only shows it must be the best good, but we must keep in mind we all have different natures and states which account for differences in what we consider pleasurable.

Aristotle’s final point concerns bodily pleasures and how people often associate such pleasure with intemperate people. Bodily pleasures are good up to a point, but the danger comes from the notion that we can have an excess of bodily pleasures. We can enjoy bodily pleasures such as sex in a temperate manner, but some people enjoy sex in excess and such behavior projects intemperance. So why do we pursue these pleasures to excess? According to Aristotle, bodily pleasures mask pain and the excess of bodily pleasure serves as a cure or remedy to those things that bring us pain. Other people lack pleasure in other area of their lives and compensate by seeking bodily pleasures because their natural condition simply is painful to them. Abusers of pleasure aside, pleasure with no pain has no excess such as the pleasure from learning. To sum up, some pleasures are good or bad depending on why they are pleasurable to us. To say the pursuit of pleasure is bad contradicts the pursuit of happiness because to complete the ultimate end of happiness we much satisfy the desires of our natural state in an unimpeded manner a.k.a the pursuit of pleasure. We all have different natures so naturally we all have different pleasures. Some pleasures can be taken to excess such as bodily pleasures, but this does not mean bodily pleasures are bad.

2 comments:

Mary Layden said...

While reading Book VII, Chapters 11-14 I noticed a continuous reference to "pleasures without qualification." (Nicomachean, 116) While my understanding of what this means is not exactly clear, I can only assume that when Aristotle says a pleasure is not good without qualification he is referring to bodily pleasures in excess, "whose pursuit makes the intemperate person intemperate."(116) If this is the case, Aristotle mentions numerous times that beasts and children pursue these kind of pleasures in excess. While you did not mention this in your blog post I am curious if you have any insight as to why it is children and beasts that pursue these "bad" pleasures? You stated that people pursue pleasure to mask pain, yet I doubt that is the reason for beasts and children's pursuit of pleasure. Is it perhaps because they are without reason and incapable of being temperate?

Jen Gen said...

I feel that Aristotle would argue that children, have the universal knowledge to know that something is wrong, but does not have the cognitive ability to comprehend the ramifications of why it is wrong. Children, especially young one, haven’t practiced temperance and have not developed a habit for virtue. For example, if a child likes sweets, they know they are not allowed too much candy because it is bad for them. If however, the chance arises were they can take more candy, they do so and then feel sick after. It is only after they have experienced a particular situation will they be able to know that something is wrong, connect it to their own actions and then develop a habit of temperance.