Book 10 / Chapter 3
Paragraph 3 - Nature and Replenishment
Explanation - Part By Part
"They say, too, that pain is the lack of that which is according to nature, and pleasure is replenishment. But these experiences are bodily."
In this part, Aristotle is addressing a common view: some people argue that pain arises when something natural to us is missing (a deficiency), while pleasure is a result of restoring or replenishing what is lacking. He points out, however, that these kinds of experiences — pain as lack and pleasure as replenishment — are specifically connected to the physical, bodily aspect of existence. Essentially, this explanation ties pleasure and pain solely to biological needs or bodily sensations.
"If then pleasure is replenishment with that which is according to nature, that which feels pleasure will be that in which the replenishment takes place, i.e. the body; but that is not thought to be the case; therefore the replenishment is not pleasure, though one would be pleased when replenishment was taking place, just as one would be pained if one was being operated on."
Aristotle is challenging the idea that pleasure is simply a form of replenishment (restoration of something missing or needed by the body). If pleasure were merely about replenishing something "according to nature," then it would mean that the source of pleasure resides in the body, since the body is where this 'replenishment' happens.
However, Aristotle points out that this doesn’t seem true. People do not believe that pleasure is only a bodily event. He argues that while replenishment might cause you to feel pleasure (for instance, eating when you’re hungry), the pleasure itself cannot be reduced to that physical process of being "restored." He compares it to undergoing surgery: although the procedure may be painful, the bodily operation itself isn’t equivalent to the pain—it’s just associated with it.
In essence, Aristotle is separating the physical process (replenishment) from the experience of pleasure, suggesting that pleasure is more complex than just a bodily function.
"This opinion seems to be based on the pains and pleasures connected with nutrition; on the fact that when people have been short of food and have felt pain beforehand they are pleased by the replenishment."
Aristotle is critiquing the idea that pleasure is simply the replenishment of what the body is missing. He notes that this perspective seems to come from observing physical needs like hunger. For instance, when someone has gone without food and feels the discomfort of hunger (i.e., pain), they experience pleasure when they eat and their body is replenished. Essentially, this viewpoint links pleasure directly to satisfying a physical lack or need. However, Aristotle is suggesting that this explanation is too narrow and does not capture the full picture of what pleasure truly is.
"But this does not happen with all pleasures; for the pleasures of learning and, among the sensuous pleasures, those of smell, and also many sounds and sights, and memories and hopes, do not presuppose pain."
In this part, Aristotle points out a flaw in the idea that pleasure is simply a "replenishment" following the lack of something (like food or water). He argues that not all pleasures arise from a state of prior pain or deficiency. For instance, the enjoyment we get from learning something new, appreciating a pleasant smell, hearing beautiful music, seeing something visually striking, or even recalling a fond memory or anticipating a hopeful future—none of these pleasures necessarily involve filling up a "void" or relieving a prior discomfort. These kinds of pleasures seem to exist independently of any feeling of lack or pain beforehand, suggesting that the concept of pleasure cannot be reduced to just replenishment or recovery.
"Of what then will these be the coming into being? There has not been lack of anything of which they could be the supplying anew."
Aristotle is questioning the idea that pleasure is merely the "coming into being" of something that was previously lacking. He points out that many pleasures—like those from learning, enjoying a smell, a sound, a sight, or even recalling memories or anticipating something in the future—do not result from a previous state of deficiency or need. In these cases, there was no absence or lack for the pleasure to "fill up" or replenish.
By stating, "Of what then will these be the coming into being?" Aristotle challenges the notion that all forms of pleasure arise as a kind of restoration of something missing. He’s highlighting that not all pleasures fit this simplistic, physical model of lack and replenishment. Some pleasures seem to arise independently, without any connection to a prior state of deprivation.