Pleasure

Pleasure is an emotion. It is the opposite of pain. Humans and many other mammals feel pleasure.^[1] People feel pleasure when they do something that is fun or that feels good.

"The Edison Phonograph" (1905), a postcard that shows pleasure while listening to music.

Pleasure in neuroscience

Pleasure is studied in neuroscience.^[2] Neuroscientists have mapped pleasure "hotspots" in the brain.^[2] Pleasure is important for a person's mental health and well-being.^[2] The loss of pleasure is common in people with mental illnesses like depression, schizophrenia, and addiction.^[2]

Pleasure in psychology

Pleasure is studied in positive psychology.^[3] How much pleasure someone feels changes from person to person. Pleasure depends how special something is. There is no rule that says what pleasure is for every person. ^[3]

Sigmund Freud wrote about the "pleasure principle" in the 1920 essay Beyond the Pleasure Principle.^[4] According to Freud, the pleasure principle is what drives people to do things that give them a feeling of immediate gratification.^[4]

Pleasure in philosophy

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus said that people feel the most pleasure possible when they have no suffering.^[5]

Hedonism is another philosophy that is focused on pleasure. It says that pleasure is good.^[6] In Hedonism, people focus on pleasure and avoid pain.

Utilitarianism is a philosophy that focuses on pleasure. It says that morality requires that people do what has the most utility for the most people.^[7]

Related pages

• Happiness