Philosophy Now Forum

In an attempt to seek unpragmatic thoughts and actions, question the motives for one's needs. They rely on true inherent needs, habits and expectations. If the habits or expectations don't reflect one's inherent needs, then they're worth eventually undoing. As one unravels one's inherent self one unravels the basis for one's inherent needs and so sees what is unnecessary, or even draining. One finds needs that have arisen due to confusion or manipulation and so can work on alleviating them completely without actually working in their interest. This might alter the way one interacts with other people, with society in general and the way one views reality.

Some common unpragmatic needs relate to religion, politics, and hedonistic pursuits. It seems most in modern societies are immersed in unpragmatic needs, it seems they have little connection to their inherent self. In fact, it seems society works against such a connection. To start a discussion, one with ordinary needs and an ordinary world view might try to justify the pragmatism of it.

Man does not live on true inherent needs alone.
For example why drink wine when water will suffice ?
Nature has created dopamine centers in the brain (which flies have) and these cause motivation
in hedonistic terms.
The quality of immediate existence (that which we perceive at this moment) may be influenced
by those things beyond inherent needs.
Living an ascetic life has many benefits , but to deny the taste buds , is not what the masses have opted for.
Therefore a call to base needs must be a matter of choice .

If a need's satisfaction is pleasant, pleasurable, pleasing, why brand it un-inherent? You say that it does not help the goals of evolution -- what is the goal of evolution? There is no such goal. It is not goal-oriented. So a need that is not inherent may not serve survival, but if it's pleasant, then it becomes inherent. After all, what your equipment (body) is equipped to enjoy, is what an inherent need is: in-born with the ability to enjoy (and therefore need.)

It's like calling a home-grown terrorist in America a person with un-American tendencies. Of course his tendencies are American, they can't be otherwise, no matter how far it deviates from the norm, since he is american, and his tendencies can't be BUT american therefore. It's like calling the buck teeth of a horse un-horse-ish.

So if a substance intake, or an activity, or a passive activity (such as listening to music or reading a book or observing nature while immersed in it), etc. is a pleasant activity, I deny that this activity can be other than in-born. You are born with your body and mind; if either or both enjoy something, that enjoyment is in-born as well, or inherent.