Atheism, neurobiology, and pleasure

[bandit4god]

We know significantly more than we once did about how pleasure is brought about in the human brain.  In fact, a person could conceivably combine exhaustive study of the academic research on human pleasure with personal experimentation on oneself to postulate the ideal mixture of stimuli (e.g., experiences, drugs, etc.) to produce a life that maximizes pleasurable brain-states.

Two questions for the atheist: 
- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?
- Has anyone undertaken such an expedition and would be willing to share the results?

[xSilverPhinx]

By pleasurable, do you mean, happy?

[Sandra Craft]

- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?

Why?  We aren't all scientists, we've got other things to do and has it occured to you that most peoples lives are already pleasurable and we don't really care why?  Has it also occured to you that pleasure is an extremely individual thing and there is no black and white "do this and be happy always" solution to what appears to be your pleasure problem?

[BullyforBronto]

Two questions for the atheist: 
- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?

I'd be willing to do this. Though, I'm going to need a ton of funding for all of the necessary whiskey. Anyone have experience in grant writing?

[OldGit]

b4g, we're back to this old rubbish about atheists being amoral hedonists seeking nothing beyond self-gratification.  How many times do we have to say it here and elswhere - we are no such thing.
For fuck's sake - ALL WE ARE IS PEOPLE WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD!  As regards morals, hedonism, whatever ... we cover the same spectrum as any other set.

- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?

Why?  I see no connection whatever between the two and cannot grasp why anyone should feel that the one should follow the other.  This is just the usual prejudice from one who seems to have learned little from this forum.

[Whitney]

- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?

Why would I waste time doing that?  I'd have to go to college again for a different degree to be qualified to run a study anyone else would pay attention to.  I'd also have to be motivated to study something that the human body is naturally able to figure out by itself.  Humans, and all life to at least some extent, are pleasure seeking machines...on the basic level 'pleasure' is simple survival.  Even when someone does something charitable they do so because (for a wide range of possible reasons) doing good makes them feel better than not taking action.

Anyway, there are already tons of studies done by psychologists and sociologists which relate to human emotions; so it's not like someone should feel compelled to run studies that have already been done.

I would also think that a theist would have equal interest in what actions could result in the best life....but it's not like anyone could create a detailed prescription because we all have our individual preferences.

[Ildiko]

Okay, now I'm pretty sure b4g is trolling.

- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?

Why would I waste time doing that?  I'd have to go to college again for a different degree to be qualified to run a study anyone else would pay attention to.

Not to mention get funding for the dogsleds, bearing in mind that it's an expedition that b4g is talking about.

[Attila]

Two questions for the atheist[edited] and the ignostic[/edited]:  
- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?
- Has anyone undertaken such an expedition and would be willing to share the results?

Are you considering pleasurable life a human universal? Take your own life (please take it). Do you consider it pleasurable? If you don't then you're some masochistic nutcase or just a plain loser; in either case you have nothing of interest to say. If you do, then good on you. Enjoy. I'm sure I would find your life the purest form of hell (and you, mine). I do things because they're fun. Luckily, I get fun out of many many things -- the main exception being any form of authority (giving or receiving).
Lighten up and enjoy yourself. Acquire knowledge and share. That usually does the trick. Do we really need anything more?

[bandit4god]

b4g, we're back to this old rubbish about atheists being amoral hedonists seeking nothing beyond self-gratification.  How many times do we have to say it here and elswhere - we are no such thing.
For fuck's sake - ALL WE ARE IS PEOPLE WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD!  As regards morals, hedonism, whatever ... we cover the same spectrum as any other set.

- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?

Why?  I see no connection whatever between the two and cannot grasp why anyone should feel that the one should follow the other.  This is just the usual prejudice from one who seems to have learned little from this forum.

I'm not saying anything of the sort.  I'm the one out of 10,000 theists actually trying to put myself in the shoes of an atheist.

Do you believe there are valueable actions/outcomes in an absolute sense?
- If yes, why?  To what standard or set of norms can you assert that those actions/outcomes have value?
- If no, then life is an exercise in pleasure.  This is not a pejorative statement, just a scientific statement about an animal.

[OldGit]

^ It's just the usual dreary prejudice and I'm not going to bother to answer yet again what has been gone over dozens of times here and in similar places.

I'll simply mention that I spend a good deal of my time on volunteer work with disabled people.  Work that out if you can be bothered.

[Tank]

Life is an exercise in survival leading to reproduction. If experiencing pleasure improves the chances of survival and reproduction it is a trait that will be positively selected for.

Theists claim that a supernatural entity brought the reality we inhabit into existence. Atheists disagree with this claim.

People (irrespective of their theistic/atheistic views) live their lives to minimise stress, hunger, thirst and any number of negative situations they find themselves in. They may also gain pleasure from reading a good book, drinking a fine wine, masturbating or raping a choir boy.

Human motivations are complex and unique because our brains are complex and unique.

I live my life to keep a roof over my head, food on the table and the central heating running. I think that 99% of the human population don't live for pleasure but from the simple need to eat, drink and keep a roof over the heads of their families. Thus pleasure is a 'red herring' in terms of day-today motivations for all but the rich and terminally hedonistic.

[Asmodean]

- Is not the most rational next step after resolving athism to then launch a full-scale scientific expedition to understand what stimuli would yield the most pleasurable life?

Not unless that is where your talents and interests lie.

- Has anyone undertaken such an expedition and would be willing to share the results?

I tend to get drunk on occasion, but am yet to undertake a massive killing spree followed by sex with the top five people on my wish list.

[Tank]

- Has anyone undertaken such an expedition and would be willing to share the results?

I tend to get drunk on occasion, but am yet to undertake a massive killing spree followed by sex with the top five people on my wish list.

You may wish to reverse the order of those two 

[OldGit]

Unless Asmo's into necrophilia?

Just the sort of thing them pesky atheists get up to.  No values, y'see.

[xSilverPhinx]

I really can't be bothered to go into debates on morality/values with theists who are convinced they know both that objective and absolute morality exists and what that morality dictates. They take both the philosophical and biological aspects to it and make it small enough to fit their worldview.