Summary of Paul Bloom's How Pleasure Works

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The pleasure we get from certain objects is related to our beliefs about their histories. For example, the tape measure that was owned by John F. Kennedy is now worth $48,875.

#2 The author’s friend owns a collection of baseballs that are special because of their history. Not everyone is a collector, but everyone I know owns at least one object that is special because of its history.

#3 The function of pleasure is to motivate certain behavior that is good for the genes. Humans are animals, and we share many pleasures with other species. However, art, music, stories, sentimental objects, and religion are not typically enjoyed by other animals.

#4 The theory that humans have evolved unique pleasures because of culture is not entirely wrong. While other animals have instincts, humans are smart. We can create and learn biologically arbitrary ideas, practices, and tastes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822528482

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Insights on Paul Bloom's How Pleasure Works

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The pleasure we get from certain objects is related to our beliefs about their histories. For example, the tape measure that was owned by John F. Kennedy is now worth $48,875.

#2

The author’s friend owns a collection of baseballs that are special because of their history. Not everyone is a collector, but everyone I know owns at least one object that is special because of its history.

#3

The function of pleasure is to motivate certain behavior that is good for the genes. Humans are animals, and we share many pleasures with other species. However, art, music, stories, sentimental objects, and religion are not typically enjoyed by other animals.

#4

The theory that humans have evolved unique pleasures because of culture is not entirely wrong. While other animals have instincts, humans are smart. We can create and learn biologically arbitrary ideas, practices, and tastes.

#5

Humans start off with a fixed list of pleasures, and we can’t add to that list. This might sound like an insanely strong claim, but I would argue that these are enjoyable because they are not that new. They connect with pleasures humans already have.

#6

The classic definition of essentialism is the notion that things have an underlying reality or true nature that cannot be observed directly. This is a natural way of making sense of certain aspects of the world. For example, gold has an underlying reality or true nature that cannot be observed directly, and it is