If you grant that motivation for actions have two components, causal and stochastic, and ignore the stochastic element as just error, I could see labeling all causal impetuses as "desires" at some level. Anything you do, you do because the conscious you--or some lower level process that is a part of you--"wanted" it that way, give or take some random noise.
Indeed, a desire is ultimately the habit of seeking a particular goal. The comment you replied to stands regardless.
Re:Is reason the slave of the passions?
by ibeckermayer on Tuesday May 28, 2019 @02:25AM
(#20027670)
Don't “goal-seeking behaviors” imply desire? I can’t imagine a goal I might seek that isn’t a desire itself or connected closely to a desire.
Is it?
> when I examine my actions closely I notice that all of them can be traced back to some desire or combination of desires.
But when I introspect, the opposite happens. When I examine my desires closely, they disappear and I am left with "well I often engage in X, Y and Z goal-seeking behaviours."