by Why Joy Itself Can Be a Form of Ethics
For centuries, pleasure was treated as a temptation to resist rather than a wisdom to follow. Yet modern ethics is rediscovering joy as a moral good. The idea that pleasure can be ethical challenges old dualisms of virtue versus desire. According to The Atlantic, pleasure is not selfish when pursued with consent, respect, and careit becomes a way to affirm life. To feel good, when it harms no one, is an act of freedom.
Philosophers from Epicurus to Audre Lorde viewed pleasure as sacred energy. Lordes essay Uses of the Erotic argued that reclaiming erotic joy is a political act, especially for marginalized identities. Science agrees: researchers at the National Library of Medicine show that pleasure promotes emotional regulation, empathy, and resilience. Denying joy doesnt make us moral; it makes us numb.
Ethical pleasure is intentional. It values presence over indulgence, compassion over conquest. As Psychology Today explains, when we approach pleasure mindfully, it becomes a tool for healing and connection rather than distraction. Joy, in this view, is not the opposite of ethicsit is its purest expression. SOURCE: sexnews.eu
SOURCE: pleasure, ethics, sexuality, happiness, wellbeing.
By: Ingrid Gustafsson.
