ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the concept of pleasure and how it has been shaped by social, historical and economic contexts. Through examining the constructions of pleasure contained within certain texts throughout history we find that pleasure has played a key role in the development of modern culture and capitalist political economy, and has been used to reproduce intersecting inequalities in race, class, ability, gender and sexuality. Beginning with a discussion of ancient Greek philosophies that elevated pleasure in its potential for enlightenment, we discuss how pleasure has been linked to non-productive bodies that contributed to the development of capitalism, European colonisation, the slave trade and the Industrial Revolution in Europe and consumer capitalism. This chapter can provide a starting point for the future exploration of pleasure within the social sciences.
