Desires are a fundamental part of human life, but the way in which we experience them is often confusing. We may have a strong, intense desire for something, but this is not the same thing as wanting something for the sake of it. Desire is a mental state, and it requires action to be satisfied. This theory of desire takes a holistic approach to describing desire. This means that we can define our desires in terms of how much we want them to be satisfied.
While we may have many beliefs about what we want, the underlying mechanism is the same. A desire is an expression of a desire for something, such as a cup of tea or a pair of skates. While we may not have an actual physical desire for something, we are motivated to act if the possibility of having it is more desirable. In this action-based theory of desire, the desire is a rational expression of what we think we want.
In the simple conservative theory of desire, we think of desires as being for certain conceivable states of affairs. The only essential feature of a desire is its disposition to act, and other tendencies are interesting but inessential. For example, Nora might want a cup of tea, but she might not feel good about it at the moment. Nora would feel uncomfortable with this situation, and she would judge that getting tea is a good idea. In the case of this simple example, her desire for tea is a powerful, albeit limited, force.
Action-based theories of desire fail to make an important distinction. Desires are a high-level perceptual state that is associated with goodness. The good we seek is a reflection of the goodness we perceive. The desire represents an ideal, and therefore it must be accompanied by action. When we act according to our desires, we will act on those beliefs. And we will continue to do so until we achieve our goal.
The pleasure-based theory is another popular view of desire. This theory is based on the notion that pleasure is the most closely related to desire. According to this theory, even if creatures do not possess dispositions to act, they can have dispositions to experience pleasure. The two theories may be related, but it is far from clear which one is correct. If desire is the same thing as pleasure, then action cannot occur without pleasure.
The idea that we have to act on our desires is problematic for two reasons. It is possible that we have to think about our reasons in order to achieve our goals. While we may have a specific reason for acting on our desires, we need a general motivation for acting. And that reason is independent of the desire itself. That way, we will have more motivation to act in a way that leads us to our goals.