Lust

I believe a further elucidation is needed for those not fluent in German to fully grasp Freud's idea of the pleasure principle or Lustprinzip. The word Lust is - as are most German words - elusive. Its meaning is but imperfectly captured in the English pleasure. This is but one of its nuances. Another is retained in the English lust; the German original also has sexual, or rather sensual, undertones. At its core Lust means the most basic impulse which cannot meaningfully be reduced to any cause. If one is asked for one's motivation for some proposed activity and answers: "Ich hab' halt Lust dazu," any competent speaker would regard a further inquiry into the origins of Lust as absurd. Adorno took Freud by his word and demanded Lust to be the guiding light towards an emancipated society.