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Pleasure and Its Contraries

Massin, Olivier

In: Review of Philosophy and Psychology, 2014, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 15-40

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    Title
    • Pleasure and Its Contraries
    Author
    • Massin, Olivier. Department of Philosophy, University of Geneva, 2, rue de Candolle, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Classification
    • Health
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:325731
    Summary
    What is the contrary of pleasure? "Pain” is one common answer. This paper argues that pleasure instead has two natural contraries: unpleasure and hedonic indifference. This view is defended by drawing attention to two often-neglected concepts: the formal relation of polar opposition and the psychological state of hedonic indifference. The existence of mixed feelings, it is argued, does not threaten the contrariety of pleasure and unpleasure.