Spinoza and Enlightened Pleasures
Spinoza recognizes that worldly pleasures are not contrary to the life of the philosophical sage, but such pursuits must be carefully directed. He distinguishes between a joy that affects only some parts of the body (<i>titillatio</i>) and joy that extends through the body as a whole (&l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Histories |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9252/3/4/25 |
| _version_ | 1797380830681628672 |
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| author | Charlie Huenemann |
| author_facet | Charlie Huenemann |
| author_sort | Charlie Huenemann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spinoza recognizes that worldly pleasures are not contrary to the life of the philosophical sage, but such pursuits must be carefully directed. He distinguishes between a joy that affects only some parts of the body (<i>titillatio</i>) and joy that extends through the body as a whole (<i>hilaritas</i> or “cheerfulness”). Titillation can be excessive, since it can blind us to our other needs. But cheerfulness cannot be excessive, since the whole body is improved at once. In his account of cheerfulness, Spinoza can be understood to be describing the life of a <i>liefhebber</i>, which is the Dutch term for a connoisseur, or an enlightened and discriminating consumer of worldly pleasures. It is a strikingly appropriate discussion given his own historical context, in which the Dutch culture found itself suddenly in possession of delights from around the world. This paper will explore Spinoza’s account of pleasure and cheerfulness in its context, with reference to other authors who were wrestling with the problem of finding the appropriate place for worldly pleasures in a culture of broadly Calvinist sympathies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:42:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57af639a07694e8d97946ec76cf35073 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2409-9252 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:42:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Histories |
| spelling | doaj.art-57af639a07694e8d97946ec76cf350732023-12-22T14:12:21ZengMDPI AGHistories2409-92522023-12-013437138010.3390/histories3040025Spinoza and Enlightened PleasuresCharlie Huenemann0Department of Communication Studies and Philosophy, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-0720, USASpinoza recognizes that worldly pleasures are not contrary to the life of the philosophical sage, but such pursuits must be carefully directed. He distinguishes between a joy that affects only some parts of the body (<i>titillatio</i>) and joy that extends through the body as a whole (<i>hilaritas</i> or “cheerfulness”). Titillation can be excessive, since it can blind us to our other needs. But cheerfulness cannot be excessive, since the whole body is improved at once. In his account of cheerfulness, Spinoza can be understood to be describing the life of a <i>liefhebber</i>, which is the Dutch term for a connoisseur, or an enlightened and discriminating consumer of worldly pleasures. It is a strikingly appropriate discussion given his own historical context, in which the Dutch culture found itself suddenly in possession of delights from around the world. This paper will explore Spinoza’s account of pleasure and cheerfulness in its context, with reference to other authors who were wrestling with the problem of finding the appropriate place for worldly pleasures in a culture of broadly Calvinist sympathies.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9252/3/4/25SpinozaDutch Golden AgeCalvinismJacob Catspleasures |
| spellingShingle | Charlie Huenemann Spinoza and Enlightened Pleasures Histories Spinoza Dutch Golden Age Calvinism Jacob Cats pleasures |
| title | Spinoza and Enlightened Pleasures |
| title_full | Spinoza and Enlightened Pleasures |
| title_fullStr | Spinoza and Enlightened Pleasures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spinoza and Enlightened Pleasures |
| title_short | Spinoza and Enlightened Pleasures |
| title_sort | spinoza and enlightened pleasures |
| topic | Spinoza Dutch Golden Age Calvinism Jacob Cats pleasures |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9252/3/4/25 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT charliehuenemann spinozaandenlightenedpleasures |