sensualist

A sensualist is a person who places a high value on sensory experiences and bodily pleasures, and who seeks to maximize tactile, visual, aural, and gastronomic sensations in daily life. The term can be used descriptively for someone who prioritizes sensory enjoyment, including artistic appreciation and the pleasures of touch, sight, and sound, but it does not necessarily imply immoral behavior.

Origin and scope: The term derives from Latin sensus, meaning sense, and has been used in English since the 18th century. In philosophy, sensualism is the view that knowledge originates in sensory experience, and a sensualist is someone who emphasizes this epistemic stance. This sense is distinct from sexual connotations of the word “sensual.”

Usage and connotations: In everyday language, a sensualist may be described as someone who cultivates taste and indulgence in bodily or artistic pleasures. The term can be neutral, affectionate, or critical depending on context, sometimes implying hedonism or moral ambiguity when applied to a lifestyle.

Culture and literature: In literature and art, sensualists are often depicted as characters whose lives center on the immediacy of sensation and aesthetic experience, sometimes as symbols of refined taste and lush description, other times as emblems of excess or temptation.

See also: Hedonism, Empiricism, Sensualism, Aesthetics.