Week 1: A Criminology of Pleasure PDF

Week 1 – A criminology of pleasure What is pleasure? pleasure is not universal- two people can or can’t experience the same sensation something which is ‘evaluatively felt’- which incorporates a field of experience and knowledge attached to feelings is pleasure unitary?...

Week 1 – A criminology of pleasure What is pleasure? pleasure is not universal- two people can or can’t experience the same sensation something which is ‘evaluatively felt’- which incorporates a field of experience and knowledge attached to feelings is pleasure unitary? o Same pleasure from drugs and hanging out with family? Pleasure can be defined as an absence of pain- but is the absence of pain always a good thing? Aristotle distinguished pleasure from happiness. Jeremy Bentham identified at least 14 pleasures. He even attempted to provide a ‘hedonic calculus’ for measuring pleasure based on factors like intensity and duration (what level of pleasure does something reach) o Are intense pleasures therefore better than lighter and more simple ones? Can we make comparisons and evaluations between people who have numerous intense pleasures versus someone who has one like just reading? Thomas Hurkel identified 4 key varieties of pleasure: simple and localised pleasures- physical pleasure simple and extended pleasures- being in a good mood pleasures that- you scored high on an essay extended pleasures that- life has been good Pleasure, intensity and pain: Can we make comparisons and evaluations between people who have numerous intense pleasures versus someone who has one like just reading? o Who leads the morally better life? Pleasure can be defined as an absence of pain- but is this always a good thing? Activity 1b: Ethic regulations- sourcing of products e.g., pottery painting Philosophies of pleasure Pleasure as a social issue: Certain philosophies have identified pleasure as a primary force in shaping the social world Aim of life o To increase pleasure and to reduce pain o Pleasure is the highest good o Therefore, whatever brings pleasure should be ‘right’ Epicurus (340 c. 270) BC: Greek philosopher- philosophy of pleasure often associated with idea of endless partying, sexual excess and gluttony did not argue for unlimited pleasure ‘No pleasure is a bad thing in itself, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail disturbances many times greater than the pleasure themselves’ The ‘Carpe-Diem’ view- do not waste a moment of your life Marquis De Sade: Argued for an extreme personal freedom- especially in the pursuit of pleasure The term sadism derived from his name  o Sadism- the tendency to derive pleasure He was incarcerated in various prisons and an insane asylum for 29 years of his life, though he was never convicted of any crime ‘sex without pain is like food without taste’- famous quote Utilitarianism: Famous advocates have included Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill Argues that morally good conduct requires seeking the greatest happiness/pleasure for the greatest number It has been a very influential view on the contemporary world- seen in the development of the modern state; capitalism and welfarism o Utilitarianism- focuses on outcomes to determine right and wrong. It advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and oppose actions that cause unhappiness or harm o Increase demand in the economy, increase consumer spending and the consumers achieve satisfaction in the marketplace Sigmund Freud: Offered a more psychoanalytic, psychological view Humans are drives to pursue pleasure Desire or the libido drives us on o Contained largely in the ID o Libido- a person’s interest in sexual activity or objects This is regulated by the Ego to behave The pleasure principle (Eros) opposes the death principle (Thanatos) Pleasure and criminology: An obvious focus of criminology upon pleasure has been in terms of its regulation o Drug control o Criminalising sexual behaviours Variables: In science, an idea or variable is only of interest/value where it explains or predicts phenomena more effectively than other o E.g., magnetism has more explanatory power than a sticky metal Familiar explanations of crime and criminality have involved factors like: o Choice, economic compulsion, differential association and environment Could the pursuit of pleasure also play a part in explaining criminological motivation? Jack Katz- ‘Seduction of crime’ book Crime can often be pleasurable Subcultural approaches- understand certain criminal acts we need to understand their origins in pleasure subculture Cultural criminology- ‘thrill and buzz’ o E.g., graffiti artists Punishment Suppose the pursuit of pleasure also explains the urge to punish Explaining punitively might them simply be about explaining why punishment is pleasurable Suppose pleasure is basic to understanding social actors The 2008 financial crash resulted in economic laws failed to predict this o Buyers and sellers in the market lending money were driven by factors that were irrational and pleasurable  o Criminology helps explain economist incentives Epicurus warned against pursuing unnecessary or unnatural desires—such as wealth, power, and luxury— since these often bring more anxiety and discomfort than happiness. By keeping our desires simple and moderate, we achieve a balanced and tranquil life without the dissatisfaction that comes from endless or intense cravings.