The Universal Principle of Desire and Universal and Particular

The Unseen Current: Unveiling the Universal Principle of Desire

At the heart of human experience, and indeed, much of existence, lies a fundamental, often unarticulated, drive. This is the Universal Principle of Desire: a foundational impulse, not merely for fleeting wants, but for being, for flourishing, for completion. It is the underlying engine that propels all entities, from the simplest organism seeking sustenance to the most complex human striving for meaning and transcendence. Understanding this principle, as explored by thinkers across the Great Books of the Western World, reveals profound insights into our motivations, our ethics, and the very structure of reality itself.

The Inescapable Impulse: Defining Desire as a Universal Principle

From the moment we draw breath, we are subjects of desire. It manifests as hunger, curiosity, love, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of understanding. But what if these myriad particular desires are merely expressions of a more profound, universal force?

The Principle of Desire posits that there is an intrinsic orientation within all beings towards what they perceive as good or fulfilling. This isn't just a psychological phenomenon; it's presented by many philosophers as an ontological truth – a fundamental aspect of reality. It's the "pull" towards being more, knowing more, achieving more.

Consider the distinction between the Universal and Particular. A particular desire might be for a cup of coffee, a new book, or a promotion. Yet, beneath these specific manifestations, there often lies a universal desire: for comfort, for knowledge, for recognition, for security. The Universal Principle of Desire seeks to identify the shared, underlying current that gives rise to these diverse expressions.

A Journey Through Philosophical Contemplations of Desire and Will

The nature of desire and its relationship to the Will has captivated philosophers for millennia. Their inquiries, spanning across the Great Books, reveal a rich tapestry of understanding.

Ancient Roots: The Good, the Beautiful, and the Telos

In ancient Greece, particularly with Plato and Aristotle, desire was intrinsically linked to the pursuit of the good.

Plato: For Plato, desire (eros) is a powerful force that can lead us from the particular beauties of the world to the contemplation of absolute Beauty and the Good itself, which are ultimately one. Our souls yearn for the Forms, for perfect knowledge and truth, and this yearning is a form of desire. The Will here is often seen as the rational part of the soul, which, when properly ordered, directs desire towards higher ends.
Aristotle: Aristotle viewed desire as an appetite (orexis) for what is perceived as good, guiding all living things towards their specific telos or end. The acorn desires to become an oak tree; humans desire eudaimonia (flourishing or true happiness). The Will (prohairesis) is a rational desire, an intellectual appetite that deliberates and chooses means to achieve desired ends, making it central to moral action.

Medieval Insights: Divine Will and Human Aspiration

The medieval period integrated classical thought with theological perspectives, often framing human desire within the context of a divine plan.

Augustine of Hippo: Famously declared, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee." For Augustine, the deepest human desire is for God, and all other desires are ultimately misdirected until they find their true object in the divine. The Will is crucial here, as it can be directed towards God or away from Him, shaping our moral and spiritual destiny.
Thomas Aquinas: Building on Aristotle, Aquinas distinguished between natural appetites (like hunger) and rational appetites. The Will is the rational appetite, a faculty that desires the good as apprehended by reason. It is free to choose among particular goods but is naturally inclined towards the universal good.

Modern Explorations: Reason, Passion, and Autonomy

The modern era brought new complexities, examining the interplay between reason, emotion, and individual agency.

René Descartes & Baruch Spinoza: Descartes grappled with the distinction between the mind and body, seeing passions (a form of desire) as bodily affections that can influence the rational soul. Spinoza, on the other hand, posited the conatus – the inherent striving of every being to persevere in its own being – as the fundamental Principle of desire. The Will for Spinoza is not a separate faculty but the mind's affirmation or negation, an aspect of the conatus itself, driven by adequate ideas.
Immanuel Kant: Kant famously distinguished between inclinations (empirical desires) and the moral law. For Kant, true moral action stems not from desire or inclination, but from duty, from acting out of respect for the moral law, which is dictated by Pure Practical Reason. The Will (the Good Will) is paramount; it is the faculty of acting according to principles, and its goodness lies in its intention to fulfill duty, irrespective of desired outcomes.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel & Friedrich Nietzsche: Hegel explored the desire for recognition and the dialectic of master and slave, where self-consciousness emerges through struggle. Nietzsche, in a radical departure, proclaimed the "Will to Power" as the fundamental Principle driving all life – not merely survival, but the drive to overcome, to grow, to dominate. This Will is the ultimate expression of desire, shaping values and creating meaning.

The Intricate Dance of Desire and Will

The relationship between Desire and Will is a recurring theme, often depicted as a complex interplay rather than a simple hierarchy.

Philosophical Perspective	Nature of Desire	Nature of Will	Relationship
Plato	Yearning for the Good/Beautiful, lower bodily appetites	Rational part of the soul, directs desire	Will, when properly ordered, guides desire towards higher, universal ends.
Aristotle	Appetites (orexis) for perceived good, towards telos	Rational appetite (prohairesis), deliberates and chooses	Will is a rational desire, choosing means to achieve desired ends; desire provides the fundamental impulse.
Augustine	Restlessness for God, misdirected worldly wants	Faculty that chooses towards or away from God	Will determines the object of desire, seeking true rest in God.
Aquinas	Natural appetites, rational appetite for the good	Rational appetite, free to choose particular goods	Will is drawn by the good presented by reason; it's the executive faculty for rational desires.
Spinoza	Conatus (striving to persevere), affects	The mind's affirmation/negation, part of conatus	Will is not distinct from desire but an aspect of the fundamental striving; informed by adequate ideas.
Kant	Inclinations, empirical wants, heteronomous	Good Will, acting from duty, autonomous	Will ought to transcend desire, acting solely from respect for the moral law, not from inclination.
Nietzsche	Manifestations of the Will to Power	Will to Power: fundamental drive to overcome, grow, create	Desire is a symptom or expression of the deeper, all-encompassing Will to Power.

The Universal and the Particular: Manifesting the Principle

The Universal Principle of Desire posits a fundamental drive for flourishing, self-preservation, or actualization that underpins all life. This universal desire, however, is never experienced in its pure form. Instead, it manifests in an infinite variety of particular desires, shaped by individual circumstances, cultural contexts, biological needs, and personal histories.

A universal desire for "knowledge" might manifest as a particular desire for a specific scientific discovery, a philosophical treatise, or simply to understand a friend's feelings. A universal desire for "connection" might lead to a particular desire for romantic love, friendship, community, or even the adoration of a pet. The challenge, then, is to discern the universal current flowing beneath the turbulent surface of our particular wants.

Implications of Understanding the Universal Principle of Desire

Grasping the Universal Principle of Desire offers profound implications for how we understand ourselves and the world:

Self-Knowledge: It encourages introspection, asking not just what we desire, but why – what deeper, universal need is this particular desire trying to fulfill?
Ethical Guidance: By identifying the universal good towards which desire should be directed (e.g., flourishing, truth, community), we can better evaluate and guide our particular desires, aligning them with a more meaningful life.
Interpersonal Understanding: Recognizing the shared, universal drives beneath diverse individual expressions of desire can foster empathy and bridge divides.
Freedom and Autonomy: As Kant emphasized, true freedom lies not in blindly following every desire, but in the Will's capacity to choose and direct desires according to rational principles or moral law, moving from heteronomy to autonomy.

(Image: A classical marble sculpture depicting a figure with an intense, upward gaze and outstretched hand, perhaps reaching for something unseen. The figure's posture suggests both longing and aspiration, embodying the philosophical concept of eros or conatus – an inherent striving. The background is softly blurred, emphasizing the figure's internal state of yearning.)

Conclusion: Embracing the Drive Towards Being

The Universal Principle of Desire is not a simple concept, but a profound philosophical lens through which to view existence. It compels us to look beyond the immediate and the superficial, to seek the underlying Principle that animates all striving. From Plato's ascent to the Good to Nietzsche's Will to Power, the thinkers of the Great Books of the Western World remind us that desire, guided by a discerning Will, is not merely a human characteristic but an essential force shaping our reality. By understanding this unseen current, we gain not just knowledge, but a pathway to a more deliberate and meaningful existence.

Video by: The School of Life

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