This article is about the psychoanalytical term. For other uses, see Pleasure principle.
In Freudianpsychoanalysis, the pleasure principle (German: Lustprinzip)[1] is the instinctive seeking of pleasure and avoiding of pain to satisfy biological and psychological needs.[2] Specifically, the pleasure principle is the animating force behind the id.[3]
Epicurus in the ancient world, and Jeremy Bentham in the modern, laid stress upon the role of pleasure in directing human life, the latter stating: "Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure".[4]
Freud used the idea that the mind seeks pleasure and avoids pain in his Project for a Scientific Psychology of 1895,[6] as well as in the theoretical portion of The Interpretation of Dreams of 1900, where he termed it the 'unpleasure principle'.[7]
In the Two Principles of Mental Functioning of 1911, contrasting it with the reality principle, Freud spoke for the first time of "the pleasure-unpleasure principle, or more shortly the pleasure principle".[7][8] In 1923, linking the pleasure principle to the libido he described it as the watchman over life; and in Civilization and Its Discontents of 1930 he still considered that "what decides the purpose of life is simply the programme of the pleasure principle".[9]
While on occasion Freud wrote of the near omnipotence of the pleasure principle in mental life,[10] elsewhere he referred more cautiously to the mind's strong (but not always fulfilled) tendency towards the pleasure principle.[11]
Two principles
Freud contrasted the pleasure principle with the counterpart concept of the reality principle, which describes the capacity to defer gratification of a desire when circumstantial reality disallows its immediate gratification. In infancy and early childhood, the id rules behavior by obeying only the pleasure principle. People at that age only seek immediate gratification, aiming to satisfy cravings such as hunger and thirst, and at later ages the id seeks out sex.[12]
Maturity is learning to endure the pain of deferred gratification. Freud argued that "an ego thus educated has become 'reasonable'; it no longer lets itself be governed by the pleasure principle, but obeys the reality principle, which also, at bottom, seeks to obtain pleasure, but pleasure which is assured through taking account of reality, even though it is pleasure postponed and diminished".[12]
The beyond
In his book Beyond the Pleasure Principle, published in 1921, Freud considered the possibility of "the operation of tendencies beyond the pleasure principle, that is, of tendencies more primitive than it and independent of it".[13] By examining the role of repetition compulsion in potentially over-riding the pleasure principle,[14] Freud ultimately developed his opposition between Libido, the life instinct, and the death drive.
Look up pleasure principle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Pleasure/unpleasure principle
January 28, 2023
pleasure, principle, psychology, this, article, about, psychoanalytical, term, other, uses, pleasure, principle, freudian, psychoanalysis, pleasure, principle, german, lustprinzip, instinctive, seeking, pleasure, avoiding, pain, satisfy, biological, psychologi. This article is about the psychoanalytical term For other uses see Pleasure principle In Freudian psychoanalysis the pleasure principle German Lustprinzip 1 is the instinctive seeking of pleasure and avoiding of pain to satisfy biological and psychological needs 2 Specifically the pleasure principle is the animating force behind the id 3 Contents 1 Precursors 2 Freudian developments 3 Two principles 3 1 The beyond 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksPrecursors EditEpicurus in the ancient world and Jeremy Bentham in the modern laid stress upon the role of pleasure in directing human life the latter stating Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters pain and pleasure 4 Freud s most immediate predecessor and guide however was Gustav Theodor Fechner and his psychophysics 5 Freudian developments EditFreud used the idea that the mind seeks pleasure and avoids pain in his Project for a Scientific Psychology of 1895 6 as well as in the theoretical portion of The Interpretation of Dreams of 1900 where he termed it the unpleasure principle 7 In the Two Principles of Mental Functioning of 1911 contrasting it with the reality principle Freud spoke for the first time of the pleasure unpleasure principle or more shortly the pleasure principle 7 8 In 1923 linking the pleasure principle to the libido he described it as the watchman over life and in Civilization and Its Discontents of 1930 he still considered that what decides the purpose of life is simply the programme of the pleasure principle 9 While on occasion Freud wrote of the near omnipotence of the pleasure principle in mental life 10 elsewhere he referred more cautiously to the mind s strong but not always fulfilled tendency towards the pleasure principle 11 Two principles EditFreud contrasted the pleasure principle with the counterpart concept of the reality principle which describes the capacity to defer gratification of a desire when circumstantial reality disallows its immediate gratification In infancy and early childhood the id rules behavior by obeying only the pleasure principle People at that age only seek immediate gratification aiming to satisfy cravings such as hunger and thirst and at later ages the id seeks out sex 12 Maturity is learning to endure the pain of deferred gratification Freud argued that an ego thus educated has become reasonable it no longer lets itself be governed by the pleasure principle but obeys the reality principle which also at bottom seeks to obtain pleasure but pleasure which is assured through taking account of reality even though it is pleasure postponed and diminished 12 The beyond Edit In his book Beyond the Pleasure Principle published in 1921 Freud considered the possibility of the operation of tendencies beyond the pleasure principle that is of tendencies more primitive than it and independent of it 13 By examining the role of repetition compulsion in potentially over riding the pleasure principle 14 Freud ultimately developed his opposition between Libido the life instinct and the death drive See also EditHedonism Id ego and super ego Ignacio Matte Blanco Jouissance Pierre Janet Reality principle Self control UtilitarianismReferences Edit Laplanche Jean Pontalis Jean Bertrand 2018 1973 Pleasure Principle The Language of Psychoanalysis Abingdon on Thames Routledge ISBN 978 0 429 92124 7 Snyder C R Lopez Shane J 2007 Positive Psychology Sage Publications Inc ISBN 978 0 7619 2633 7 Carlson Neil R Heth C Donald 2007 Psychology the science of behaviour Pearson Education Canada pp 700 ISBN 978 0 205 64524 4 R Gregory ed The Oxford Companion to the Mind 1987 p 308 Sigmund Freud On Metapsychology PFL 11 pp 276 7 Peter Gay Freud 1989 p 80 a b On Metapsychology p 36 Nagera Humberto ed 2014 1970 The Pleasure Principle pp 60 61 Basic Psychoanalytic Concepts on Metapsychology Conflicts Anxiety and Other Subjects Abingdon on Thames Routledge ISBN 978 1 31767042 1 Sigmund Freud Civilization Society and Religion PFL 12 p 263 Sigmund Freud On Psychopathology PFL 10 p 243 On Metapsychology p 278 a b Sigmund Freud Introductory Lectures 16 357 On Metapsychology p 287 On Metapsychology p 293 External links Edit Look up pleasure principle in Wiktionary the free dictionary Pleasure unpleasure principle Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pleasure principle psychology amp oldid 1135393410, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
