Showing results for "Pleasure" in World

Freud's landmark work about the pleasure principle covering ancient times to his own: psychology, arts, literature, science, biology, and social science.

We pursue power, pleasure, and profit. We want as much as we can get, and we deploy instrumental reasoning-cost-benefit analysis-to get it. We judge ourselves and others by how well we succeed. It is a way of life and thought that seems natural, inevitable, and inescapable. As David Wootton reveals, it is anything but. In Power, Pleasure, and Profit, he traces an intellectual and cultural revolution that replaced the older systems of Aristotelian ethics and Christian morality with the instrumental reasoning that now gives shape and purpose to our lives. 

Before Columbus's fateful voyage in 1492, no European had ever seen, much less tasted, tobacco or chocolate. Initially dismissed as dry leaves and an odd Indian drink, these two commodities came to conquer Europe on a scale unsurpassed by any other American resource or product. A fascinating story of contact, exploration, and exchange in the Atlantic world, Sacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures traces the ways in which these two goods of the Americas both changed and were changed by Europe.

Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure by John Cleland. Fanny Hill: Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (1749) was the first widely-read English novel in the genre “Erotica.” It was written by John Cleland as he was serving hard time at a debtor’s prison in London. Over the centuries, the novel has been repeatedly banned by authorities, assuring its preeminent role in the history of the ongoing struggle against censorship of free expression. Until Fanny Hill, previous heroines had conducted their amorous liaisons “off-stage.” Any erotic misadventures were described euphemistically...

Sugar substitutes have been a part of American life since saccharin was introduced at the 1893 World's Fair. In Empty Pleasures, the first history of artificial sweeteners in America, Carolyn de la Pena blends popular culture with business and women's history, examining the invention, production, marketing, regulation, and consumption of sugar substitutes such as saccharin, Sucaryl, NutraSweet, and Splenda.

At the Court of Liang at the period of Yang Chu, about 300 B.C., the philosophers were treated as guests of the reigning king, who reserved for them lodging and maintenance, and encouraged all who had any pretence to the pursuit of truth and wisdom. Whether or not Yang Chu was actually a native of the Wei State, or whether he came there drawn by the attraction of a critical and unrivalled audience, it is at least certain that he settled there as small proprietor, probably in the reign of King Hwei, and continued there till his death, about 250 B.C. One may imagine a condition of life in many ...

Step back into the Court of Liang around 300 B.C., where philosophers were honored guests of the reigning king, enjoying lodging and sustenance as they pursued truth and wisdom. While the origins of Yang Chu remain a mystery, his choice to settle in the Wei State during King Hwei’s reign is well noted. Here, he lived as a modest proprietor until his death around 250 B.C. Imagine a life reminiscent of Epicurus in his renowned Athenian Garden, where the philosopher of pleasure and contentment welcomed students and disciples for enlightening discourses. These discussions, much like those in ...

Since its controversial debut, this novel has sparked debate and been banned in various countries for its candid portrayal of a young womans journey through desire and despair. Follow the life of an orphaned girl who finds herself navigating the seedy underbelly of London as she works in a brothel. Though she falls deeply in love with a charming young man named Charles, fate pulls them apart. As she recounts her struggles and experiences as a prostitute, she clings to her humanity and an unwavering belief in the power of true love. - Summary by mlcui