Good The Concept Of Pleasure Critical Thinking Example

Plato looks at pleasure as a source of delight and sensual enjoyment. In his work ‘Gorgias’, Plato talks of Socrates, and makes him relay his views. His concept is that things are termed beautiful based on the pleasure derived from them or their use. In the same way, the lack of pleasure from an item determines its lack of beauty. Plato classifies pleasure into two categories. There are those pleasures that lead to good ends, and there are those pleasures that are purposed only for fulfilling desires. Therefore, there are good pleasures and bad pleasures. Plato holds that the methods, whether painful or pleasant, used to attain a good result are good. The opposite is true for those methods that lead to bad results.
The Gorgias has many examples that show the concept of pleasure, and the determination of whether a pleasure is good or bad. In the story of Polus, Archelaus is a tyrant and he does whatever he pleases. Archelaus does not care about the moral nature of his actions, and he acts without any restraint. Polus views him as happy because Archelaus gets away with the bad acts without being punished. Socrates, on the other hand, says that the ugliness of the soul of Archelaus brings no pleasure to him, and he must be miserable. The readers contemplate about the feelings of Archelaus, but Polus says that Archelaus never knew that he was miserable. According to Polus, Archelaus was nowhere close to repenting.
Socrates as portrayed by Plato, claims that he knew the state of mind of Archelaus more than Archelaus knew himself. Callicles, on the other hand, believes that anyone who feels pleasure is happy. He is of the opinion that the character of pleasure does not matter, and there is no good or bad pleasure. Socrates is of the idea that any person that has committed a wrong act and has not been punished is the most miserable man compared to all men. Socrates says such a person is miserable because the soul is diseased.
Plato’s concept of pleasure in Gorgias is shown by Socrates who says that pleasure is not at fault, but rather the purpose of the acts. These actions may bring pleasure, but the results can also bring pain. Socrates shows that the pursuit of pleasure can lead to evil actions. According to Plato, nobody chooses to do evil, but may commit evil actions while attempting to benefit himself. Flattery is a means used on people baiting them with the prospects of pleasure. The unwise person in pursuit of pleasure may commit evil to achieve his goal.
Plato’s concept of pleasure in Gorgias shows both good and bad pleasures. Bad pleasures are pursued without paying any regard to the moral implications. Good pleasures are pursued with regard to moral implications, and are a means to good ends. The concept of pleasure mirrors the concept of beauty. The inner beauty of something is the virtues it possesses. It is not guaranteed that these virtues will give pleasure. Flattery, on the other hand, are the actions that are used to simulate beauty through the use of bad pleasures thereby making themselves attractive.
Plato says that bad pleasure makes the other people suffer as in the case of Archelaus. Archelaus does not feel the pain, but the injustice he commits is disgraceful and evil. The soul of Archelaus is made ugly by the evil it holds. Archelaus does not feel direct pain, but his soul suffers from the evil it possesses. A good person, on the other hand, suffers the direct pain, but his soul is happy because of the virtues he possesses. Plato is of the view that bad pleasure is addictive due to its unrestrained nature. He is of the opinion that pain and pleasure are incidental. Misery and happiness, on the other hand, reflect the condition of the soul.
Pleasure is a feeling experienced by humans, and it has an intrinsic connection to desire and happiness. That is the reason why Socrates, in Plato’s Gorgias, approaches pleasure from many angles. He uses beauty, happiness, good, and temperance. These virtues are viewed from an individual’s perspective rather than a society’s perspective. The people that uphold good above pleasure are seen to possess strength of character, and integrity. The opposite is true for those who pursue pleasure to gratify themselves.
Plato’s concept of pleasure in Gorgias is demonstrated through Socrates. Pleasure is categorized into good pleasure and bad pleasure. The pursuit of pleasure can involve pain, happiness, or joy. Good pleasure is achieved if the end results are good. Bad pleasure is achieved if the end results are bad. Good pleasure makes the soul happy, and creates virtues that reflect inner beauty. Bad pleasure is addictive, and brings pain to other people. Bad pleasure makes the soul ill and deformed. A person who derives pleasure from making other people suffer pain has an ugly soul, and is miserable. A man with a diseased soul is the most miserable person among all other men. According to Plato, the only way to treat such a soul is through punishing the person for the evil he has committed. Punishment relaxes the mind and brings peace to the soul. There should be restrains in the pursuit of happiness so as to avoid bad pleasure.
Aristotle explained the concept of pleasure in his work of Nicomachean Ethics. The Nicomachean Ethics contains ten books that were originally in the form of scrolls. These works had been dedicated to or edited by Nicomachus who was Aristotle’s son. The Nicomachean Ethics focused on the practicality of philosophy. Aristotle shifted from the theoretical nature of philosophy and focused on the practical nature. His focus was in using ethics to create good living rather than contemplating about good living.
Aristotle says that pleasure is connected to human nature in an intimate manner. Aristotle is of the idea that the youths need to be taught both pain and pleasure. He is of the opinion that that formation of virtues is greatly influenced by enjoying the right things, and disdaining the wrong things. Most people choose the things that bring pleasure and avoid those that cause pain. According to Aristotle people view pleasure from different perspectives. Some say it is good while others say it is bad. Others are in the middle, and become slaves to the pleasures they seek. People are not good at drawing distinctions of what is good and what is bad.
Aristotle argues for the value of pleasure, and opposes those people that argue pleasure is bad. He is of the opinion that for a person to have a happy life, pleasure must be included. He says that sensory pleasure is not the only kind of pleasure that exists. Aristotle says that the best kind of pleasure is that experienced by people who are virtuous. The virtuous people experience pleasure by possessing sufficient resources that are used for good actions. Aristotle says that when a natural state is not impeded, pleasure is derived. A natural state could include good health and the good condition of the soul. Lack of resources impede on the natural state of a person, therefore, depriving him of pleasure. Being sick deprives a person pleasure, but pleasure can be felt when the sick person starts recovering. Aristotle says that the pleasure one person gets may not be another person’s pleasure.
Aristotle’s concept of pleasure in the Nicomachean Ethics follows that any instance of pleasure is good to a given extent. Pleasure is derived when the natural state is not impeded; therefore, it is good to a certain extent. Aristotle is, however, of the opinion that not all pleasures should be selected. He says that the different kinds of pleasure are in competition with each other. The enjoyment of one type of pleasure impedes the activities of the other pleasures because they cannot be carried out simultaneously. Aristotle’s argument is that some pleasures are not worth choosing if their activities impede the activities of other pleasures that are by far better.
Aristotle also says that some pleasures are not very pleasant and cannot be qualified as bad. An example of such a pleasure is when a person is recovering from a disease. It is the kind of pleasure a person would not choose, but has to choose it even in bad circumstances. This kind of pleasure should not be avoided. The person experiencing it has no control over the circumstances leading to his choice of this pleasure. It is a pleasure because it leads to better state of health for the sick person, but it is inferior compared to other pleasures. A person should avoid situations that will make him fall sick, therefore, avoiding the pleasure of recovery.
Plato and Aristotle share some similarities in their concepts about pleasure. They both view pleasure as something good that is desired by people. Pleasure is seen as the source of happiness for some people. Plato views pleasure as that thing that makes a person happy for a given time and can lead to good or bad results. Aristotle views pleasure as a good thing whose activities should not be impeded for it to be derived. Both Plato and Aristotle associate pleasure with virtues that affect the soul. Plato and Aristotle look at pleasure derived by an individual, and the effect of such pleasure. They are both of the opinion that people pursue pleasure so as to derive happiness. The pleasure derived is, however, not continuous, and can end any time. Their concepts of pleasure show that for a person to derive pleasure, the means may include pain or joy. The path to achievement of pleasure is not always pleasant.
There are differences between the concepts of pleasure as expressed by Plato and Aristotle. Plato is more theoretical, and deals with questions about pleasure. Aristotle is more practical, and applies ethics to handling the subject of pleasure. Plato is of the view that there is good pleasure and bad pleasure. Aristotle is of the view that all pleasure is good, and he opposes those people who say that pleasure is bad. Plato is of the view that even a coward can derive pleasure from his cowardly acts the same way a hero derives pleasure from his acts of heroism. Plato, therefore, creates a distinction between good and pleasure. Aristotle does not create the distinction between good and pleasure. He sees happiness as a good thing that is comprised of pleasure.