assignment 2 (page 1)

Briefly explain on the secular moral concept of Hedonism:

page 1

There are ancient wisdom that describe the meaning and what is really are Hedonism .In his 1969 book entitled, “It’s a Playboy World,” Bill Banowsky quoted “Life” magazine
as saying “more than forty billion dollars a year are spent on the pursuit of pleasure, an
amount greater than is spent on education and religion combined.” [It’s a Playboy World,
Bill Banowsky, pp. 26-27, 1969.].

Definition of Term “Hedonism” is derived from the Greek word “hedoné” which means “pleasure.”
Hedonism denotes the creed or philosophy that pleasure is or should be the sole end and
aim of human action or conduct. [Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, James Hastings,
ed., Vol. VI, p. 567, 1913]. In other words, hedonism is the philosophy that states pleasure
determines that which is good. Consequently, anything that increases the sum of pleasure
is considered good, and conversely, anything that increases pain is wrong. There are a variety of forms or classes of hedonism. Therefore, it would be helpful to
define these variations that are :


a) “Egotistic Hedonism” – is the philosophy that states whatever brings the individual
pleasure is good and whatever brings the individual pain is bad.

b) “Altruistic Hedonism” or “Utilitarianism” – is the philosophy that states whatever brings
pleasure to the greatest number is good and whatever brings pain to the greatest number
is bad.

c)“Epicureanism” – is the philosophy that states that whatever brings us freedom from pain
is good and whatever brings us pain is bad. However, epicureanism makes a qualitative
distinction between pleasure, stating that pleasures of the mind are greater and of more
value than bodily pleasures.

d) “Eudaimonism” – differs from hedonism in that it states that whatever brings happiness
is good whereas hedonism states that whatever brings pleasure is good.

 

A Criticism of Hedonism

As a Philosophy to Live by, Hedonism is Insufficient to Answer Fundamental Ethical
Questions. The pursuit of pleasure is not as simple a matter as it may sound on the
surface. There are many ethical questions that must be answered along the way, and
hedonism provides no objective way to ascertain the answers. For instance, one may ask,
“Does one pursue pleasure for self (egotistic hedonism) or does one pursue pleasure for
others (altruistic hedonism)?” Or, to suggest a third alternative, “Is good to be measured
by what is the most pleasurable for both self and others?” The philosophy of hedonism
provides no answer. One could ask, “Is it good to pursue short-range, immediate pleasure
or should one forgo the short-range pleasure to pursue long-range pleasure?” Or, “ Which
is more desirable, ‘quality’ or ‘quantity’ of pleasure?” Again, the philosophy of hedonism
provides no objective moral standard to answer these fundamental questions. Everything
is subjective. Hedonism has no objective way to answer these questions. At best, the one
who asks these questions can only receive the subjective opinions of the one they are
asking.

As a Philosophy, Hedonism is Self-Destructive. Rather than what is good being
defined by what is pleasurable, one must sometimes forgo the pleasure to achieve the good. Since one could find little, if any, pleasure at all in having surgery, would the hedonist not feel morally compelled to refuse the surgery? If drug abuse, alcoholism, and smoking brings one pleasure, again, would the hedonist not feel morally compelled to engage in such activities? Eating a steady diet of “junk food” may be pleasurable, but one knows it is not good for him. Taking a spoonful of distasteful medicine is not pleasurable, but it is good. And injecting oneself with insulin is not pleasurable, but for the diabetic, it is good. Hedonism, if followed to its logical end, is self-destructive to its practitioners.

As a Philosophy, Hedonism Justifies Moral Atrocities since Hedonism Affirms that
Ethics Is Individual and Autonomous. Within hedonism, one man’s ceiling is another
man’s floor. What brings a man pleasure (and is thus, good according to hedonism), is
subjective and may and does differ from one person to the next. Upon what moral basis
could a hedonist condemn a child molester who finds pleasure in his actions? Or, how
could a hedonist condemn lying, stealing, cheating, or murder if one finds pleasure in such
activities? Hedonism cannot consistently condemn any action if the practitioner finds
pleasure in it. Imagine the implications of such a philosophy.

In conclusion the philosophy of hedonism is becoming pervasive in our society. Its apparently wide
acceptance is also an explanation for much of the moral decline and degeneracy in our
nation today. Hedonism is a terribly immoral philosophy by which to live, and an even
more reprehensible and tragic philosophy by which to die.



Refference by :

Steve Higginbotham
107 Trappers Trail
Glasgow, KY 42141 
 preachinghelp.org/sermons/hedonism.pdf