Concepts of desire varied widely during the early modern period. As was true for emotions more generally, beliefs and attitudes concerning desire changed during this period, in the realms both of theory and of experience.
1. Theory
Early modern beliefs about desire (Latin voluptas) were at first little different from those of the Middle Ages. Following Thomas Aquinas, desire was considered one of the basic passions of the soul and was defined as a wish to acquire an absent or future good. In this technical sens…