Hedonism

[Tom Crooze]

Ah, Hedonism. Believing that only pleasure matters. Though I would love to live this kind of lifestyle every day, you have to admit, in reality, it wouldn't work. Though, maybe partaking in it every one and a while wouldn't be so bad.

[Helm]

Though, maybe partaking in it every one and a while wouldn't be so bad.

That's what everyone who isnt ultra religiously ascetic does though that's being normal not hedonism. Hedonism is more an excess.

[Himster]

That's what everyone who isnt ultra religiously ascetic does though that's being normal not hedonism. Hedonism is more an excess.

But the ultra religiously ascetic get masochistic pleasure from their lifestyles, quite often these days it is being taken to excess, I'd call that hedonism.

In fact, here in Ireland, it's becoming incresingly difficult to stop children from witnessing the annual pilgrimage to st mullins well, where much flaggelation and carrot cake takes place.

Seriously, carrot cake. Some people are just weird.

[Helm]

Seriously, carrot cake. Some people are just weird.

I'm sure it's the kind of thing Jesus would eat were he alive now, so it makes sense. He would cut you a slice and say it's body.

[chriscase]

But the ultra religiously ascetic get masochistic pleasure from their lifestyles, quite often these days it is being taken to excess, I'd call that hedonism.

In fact, here in Ireland, it's becoming incresingly difficult to stop children from witnessing the annual pilgrimage to st mullins well, where much flaggelation and carrot cake takes place.

Seriously, carrot cake. Some people are just weird.

I always hated carrot cake. Now I know why.

[Col. Tartleton]

Well if you think about it, no one does things they don't like for the sake of them. If I don't like my job I do it for a higher cause (survival) because the alternatives are worse. Everyone is a hedonist to an extent. We seek to avoid displeasure and improve pleasure. A true hedonist would drink to alleviate pain but would stop drinking when drinking becomes harmful. Hedonism is inherently a practice of temperance. That one should avoid suffering requires moderation. Buddhism is pretty hedonistic. One abstains from harmful self denial and from harmful over indulgence.

Its simply that people are comparing the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of ever more. That's not what it is. There is nothing destructive about enjoying the things you enjoy and trying to figure out how to avoid unpleasant things. If you seek out unpleasant things for the sake of overcoming them even that is relatively hedonistic because the goal is pleasure. Hedonism is inherent to humans. It's the motivation to stay balanced.

[Himster]

That's interesting, moderation in all things brings pleasure. Perhaps an excess of moderation (which is pleasurable) could called hedonistic.

[Helm]

You just call being alive hedonism and being dead ascetism, this is a brief luxuary.

[Col. Tartleton]

Hedonism: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life.

What philosophy does not seek happiness?

Happiness:

a : a state of well-being and contentment
b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience

Even Stoics are secretly Hedonists: "Virtue is sufficient for happiness."

Buddhists seek Nirvana after all. Not being Unhappy is logically being Happy. Its more a matter of how one looks at it.

Hedonism is assumed to be excessive in some way but excessive wouldn't bring real happiness.

[Himster]

As Oscar Wilde said: Nothing succeeds like excess.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

I don't think Hedonism works that well because stuff that feels good usually kills ya and you can't have much fun when you're dead na mean?

[Atatürk]

Hedonism is just a way of justifying :wub:. It's morally justified by the pleasure it produces.

[chriscase]

Hedonism is just a way of justifying :wub:. It's morally justified by the pleasure it produces.

There are other kinds of pleasure...

[Himster]

Hedonism is just a way of justifying :wub:. It's morally justified by the pleasure it produces.

Not harming oneself or others is the justification for any form of pleasure: Pleasure is a goal or a side-effect, not a justification.

Of course there are people with autism or are sociopathic and totally lack empathy, they often see pleasure as a justification for a myriad of actions.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

But none as good as posting on TWC amirite?

[chriscase]

But none as good as posting on TWC amirite?

I'd say in general, yes, though in some cases the distinction is unclear.

[Steve Holt]

Hmmm seems like the cult of excess is beginning to infiltrate our society, all of you heretics shall be burned!

[Col. Tartleton]

It's not excess, it's enjoyment.

Gahhhh

Hedonism is sitting on a beach drinking beer watching the sun rise, not mainlining 12ccs of black tar heroin.

[Denny Crane!]

Hedonism comes up once in a while and it is almost universally misunderstood.

To a certain extent there was a very limited form of thought that existed that believed in the pursuit of pure sensual fulfillment. There was a Cyranaic school that died out quickly in Greece and an extremist form of materialistic sensual fulfillment in India by the name of Carvaka, as a subsidiary of the materialist atheist movement in India that existed before the buddhist emergence and continued in a reduced form afterwards due to cultural shifts.

The only hedonism worht discussing the western sense is epicurean which seeks attainment of the highest pleasure. The difference is that the highest pleasure is specific to what gives the most pleasure. It is a most enlightened philsophy and one well worth pursuing if not in its exact form.