A Philosophy of Pain
Arne Johan VetlesenAddresses pain in many forms, including the pain inflicted by torture; the pain suffered in disease; and the pain of anxiety, grief and depression. The author examines the dual nature of pain: how we attempt to avoid it as much as possible in our daily lives and yet, conversely, obtain a thrill from seeking it.
‘Living involves being exposed to pain every second - not necessarily as an insistent reality, but always as a possibility’, writes Arne Johan Vetlesen in A Philosophy of Pain, a thought-provoking look at an inevitable and essential aspect of the human condition. Vetlesen addresses pain in many forms, including the pain inflicted by torture; the pain suffered in disease; and the pain of anxiety, grief and depression. He examines the dual nature of pain: how we attempt to avoid it as much as possible in our daily lives and yet, conversely, obtain a thrill from seeking it.
Vetlesen looks at pain within areas of modern life such as family and work, and he specifically probes a common modern phenomenon, the idea of pushing oneself to the limit. Engaging throughout with the ideas of thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Freud, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Horkheimer, Adorno, Sontag and Klein, A Philosophy of Pain explores the concept and possibility of emphathy, as well as providing an analysis of the place of pain in modern culture.
Vetlesen offers an original and insightful perspective on something that all of us suffer and endure - from a sprained ankle to a broken heart. Although pain is in itself unpleasant, our ability to feel it reminds us that we are alive.
Addresses pain in many forms, including the pain inflicted by torture; the pain suffered in disease; and the pain of anxiety, grief and depression. The author examines the dual nature of pain: how we attempt to avoid it as much as possible in our daily lives and yet, conversely, obtain a thrill from seeking it.
‘Living involves being exposed to pain every second - not necessarily as an insistent reality, but always as a possibility’, writes Arne Johan Vetlesen in A Philosophy of Pain, a thought-provoking look at an inevitable and essential aspect of the human condition. Vetlesen addresses pain in many forms, including the pain inflicted by torture; the pain suffered in disease; and the pain of anxiety, grief and depression. He examines the dual nature of pain: how we attempt to avoid it as much as possible in our daily lives and yet, conversely, obtain a thrill from seeking it.
Vetlesen looks at pain within areas of modern life such as family and work, and he specifically probes a common modern phenomenon, the idea of pushing oneself to the limit. Engaging throughout with the ideas of thinkers such as Kierkegaard, Freud, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Horkheimer, Adorno, Sontag and Klein, A Philosophy of Pain explores the concept and possibility of emphathy, as well as providing an analysis of the place of pain in modern culture.
Vetlesen offers an original and insightful perspective on something that all of us suffer and endure - from a sprained ankle to a broken heart. Although pain is in itself unpleasant, our ability to feel it reminds us that we are alive.
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In A Philosophy of Pain, Vetlesen has produced a wide-ranging volume that begins with an examination of central cases of pain (including physical pain and psychic pain) . . . Vetlesen is concerned with the ways in which pain is transported and transformed as it moves from individual to individual in a culture. This leads to an examination of the role of modern society with respect to pain. Vetlesen finds that cultural resources are sadly lacking. Selfishness prevails, and individuals seek to be free of pain in themselves but readily cause it in others. Vetlesen finds much to criticize in the culturally anemic modern world of youth violence, reality television, and a general lack of shame. Recommended.
'Choice
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Vetlesen travels easily through the uplands of psychoanalysis, sociology and social theory before embarking on an absorbing critique of his multi-option society. He deserves a wider audience than the English title might attract . . . while it may not be an easy read, A Philosophy of Pain is well worth an effort, offering as it does fresh insights on this most universal of human experiences.
'Canberra Times
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Recommended reading for those who feel invincible and invulnerable, and also those who have experienced the darker side of life.
'Dagsavisen, Norway
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A book we cannot ignore . . . Arne Johan Vetlesen introduces us to different aspects of pain, and discusses the role pain has in our lives. His perspectives are broad-ranging and multiple . . . a book for open debate.
'Bergens Tidende, Norway
Introduction
One: Pain in Extremis: Torture
Two: Lasting Pain: Illness
Three: Psychic Pain
Four: A Critique of Sartre's Existentialist View
Five: Pain as a Phenomenon
Six: Anxiety and Depression
Seven: The Unalterable Fundamental Conditions of Existence
Eight: Transportation of Psychic Pain
Nine: The Role of Culture in Dealing with Pain
Ten: Pain and Evil
Eleven: When Pain is Imitated and Enacted: Violence in Culture
Twelve: Pain as Compulsive Choice in a Multi-option Society
Conclusion
References
Bibliography
Arne Johan Vetlesen is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oslo. He has published many books, including Perception, Empathy, and Judgment (1994) and Evil and Human Agency (2005).