What makes someone’s life go well? What’s the best theory or philosophy to live by that guarantees the best life possible?
One modern idea in philosophy is called desire satisfaction theory and claims one’s life goes best to the extent that their desires get fulfilled.
In this video, I’ll be explaining this theory of well-being and analyzing if it is indeed the best philosophy for life today. If you liked this video at any point please consider giving it a thumbs up and keep the video playing until the end, even if it is on mute, as that helps it rank ahead of the clickbait type content that’s now flooding YouTube.
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0:00 Intro
0:16 Definition
0:38 Which Desires?
1:21 Success Theory
2:01 Immediate Desires or All Desires?
2:37 “Summative”
3:13 The Drug Fix Issue
3:34 Global vs Local Desires
4:30 Informed Desires
5:34 The Grass Counter
6:03 Death and Desire
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What if you valued a good death and not a good life? Then you would want none of your desires fulfilled and consequently you would exit this life with utmost dignity and bravery. Compared to the one who had a 'good life' who would be holding on like a coward.
The three dimensions that make up the stage we find our selves on are logistics, harmony and substance. This creates a matrix of possibilities scaled by good and evil. Jesus suggested pragmatism is necessary and by using his coordinates, (the way, the truth and the life – guided by do unto others as you would have them do unto you and what is written in our hearts) we can create a better world.
Hello sir,
Recently I became a big fan of yours. I like the way you explain these complicated ideas. Could you please provide us with a mapping for the history of desire in psychoanalysis and existentialism? Please I need it for my study. Could you please help me even with some notes with the names of the thinkers ? Please !
This is my email (hknahla7@gmail.com) maybe you see my comment and you generously respond to me, I 🙏
Hi Ben, can you please explain what or if there is any difference between desire theory for wellbeing and desire satisfaction theory and desire fulfilment theory? Or are these three terms merely the same thing?
Those who crave satisfaction from and those who look to satisfy others will never satisfy themselves.
You've misunderstood the point of Parfit's point about wishing a stranger get well. The thing that distinguishes Success Theory from Unrestricted Desire-Fulfillment Theory isn't that the Success Theory restricts what's good for you to your desires, because both theories say that what's good for you is the fulfillment of your own desires. The thing that's distinctive about Success Theory is that it restricts what's good for you to the fulfillment of those desires you have which pertain to yourself–e.g., desires you have about your own life, desires you have about your friends and family and others close to you, and desires you have about the success of your own projects. It excludes desires you have about things totally unconnected to your life–e.g., a desire that a complete stranger get better, when you have nothing to do with his medical care and you'll never meet that person again.