Pleasure

Pleasure is a broad class of mental states that humans and other animals experience as positive, enjoyable, or worth seeking. It includes more specific mental states such as happiness, entertainment, enjoyment, ecstasy, and euphoria. The early psychological concept of pleasure, the pleasure principle, describes it as a positive feedback mechanism, motivating the organism to recreate in the future the situation which it has just found pleasurable and to avoid situations that have caused pain in the past.

Definition

The definition of pleasure is: a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. This can be seen in the context of psychology, biology, philosophy, and neuroscience.

Psychology

In psychology, pleasure is usually described as a state or feeling of happiness or satisfaction, or as a state of gratification. Pleasure is considered one of the core dimensions of emotion.

Biology

In biology, pleasure can be described as a state or feeling of gratification or enjoyment, usually of a high degree. It is often associated with actions that fulfill basic biological drives, such as eating or sex.

Philosophy

In philosophy, pleasure is often defined as a positive experience or emotion. The experience of pleasure is subjective and different individuals will experience different kinds and amounts of pleasure in the same situation.

Neuroscience

In neuroscience, pleasure is often linked to the release of certain chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals contribute to the feeling of pleasure by activating certain brain pathways, particularly in the reward system.

See also

• Hedonism
• Pain and pleasure
• Reward system
• Eudaimonia

References

Pleasure Resources
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