I don't mean how these things came about and I understand basic chemicals and their affect on our physiology ect. What I really want to know is why the feeling I get when I am hurt is displeasing while the feeling I get when I have sex is pleasing. Any answers philosophy subreddit?
EDIT: Damn! I didn't put this in r/philosophy! (this was my original intention)
Posted Jun 7, 2010, 12:09 AM UTC · edited
Philosophers may have something to say about it but the basic mechanics are based on evolution. Animals that like the feeling of their flesh being burnt weren't as likely to survive to procreate. Hominids that dislike the feeling of grooming and sex and physical contact became alienated from the heard and did not procreate. Etc. etc. etc.
Put another way, if it weren't displeasing you wouldn't call it pain.
You may want to consider masochism in your equation too.
On a somewhat related note.. why are headaches painful? It's not as though you (as a cave-man) can do anything about it. Or appendicitis. What use is that pain?
Pain is stimulated by tissue damage, if it damages innervated tissue, it hurts.
Mirror Neurons.
It's not a matter of philosophy... it's a matter of simple biology.
Pain is a signal that damage is being done to your body. That's bad. Thus, your system responds with negative impulses saying "stop doing that or stop letting that happen to you."
Conversely, sex, fatty foods, massages and other things are good for your body or the species (in moderation at least), so your system kicks out a positive response saying "keep that up."
I like your answer but I think you misunderstood my question. I know the affect of dopamine and other chemicals on the mind and body, I just want to know if a philosopher has thought about why these feelings are pleasing to us. Why does this feeling compel me to do this? Why when I get these signals do I think "Yes I must continue to do this" or "I must not allow that to happen again"?
Oh, I understood, I just don't think philosophy enters into it. If you were to ask "why do things that should be painful bring me pleasure" one could argue from a philosophical standpoint (in that something is overriding a very, VERY base-level biological response).
But you're talking about mechanisms that predate conscious thought. It's not a social construct, it's the same reaction that chickens, jellyfish... every other creature on Earth has.