What is pleasure?

Is everything we do just for pleasure? For the Ancient Greek hedonists, and utilitarians such as Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), pleasure is what motivates us. And for most of us, if we think of a good life, we're probably imagining one filled with things that bring us pleasure. Because of its role in motivation, pleasure is now a major topic in psychology, biology and neuroscience - but pleasure is a surprisingly ambiguous concept. Not all pleasures are good, and in fact some can make us worse off. What can philosophy tell us about pleasure and the role it plays in our lives? Guest: Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Łódź, Poland Producers: Declan Humphreys, Lecturer in the School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, QueenslandDavid Rutledge The Philosophy of Pleasure: An Introduction by Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek (Routledge, 2024) Lives Well Lived - podcast with Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer Can't Unthink It - podcast with Declan Humphreys, about the little ideas philosophers just can't get out of their heads