Modern Neuroscience And The Katastematic / Kinetic Debate

  • Desires imply cognition and rational decision-making, whereas pleasure and pain are sensations which we can't decide not to feel.

    This needs a bit more parsing: I don't think that there's always a rational component to desires. In fact a large part of advertising is finding ways to create desires which get beneath the rational. Choosing whether or not to act on a desire is definitely a rational operation, but on some level a desire is a craving, a feeling, perhaps a type of pain.


    From Oxford Languages Dictionary online:

    de·sire /dəˈzī(ə)r/ noun

    a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen.

    "a desire to work in the dirt with your bare hands"

  • This needs a bit more parsing: I don't think that there's always a rational component to desires. I

    With your explanations there, I fully agree!

    Choosing whether or not to act on a desire is definitely a rational operation,

    Yes.


    I could see there being "subconscious" desires or ingrained habitual desires.

    Edit:

    I think I would also include addiction in this category.