Hedonism Definition Essay

Hedonism as a philosophy defines the effectual in name of fun and pain, and is the world contemplate that holds to the doctrine that pleasure is the greatest proper. Now, who wouldnt define pleasure as good? Arent we all by this translation Hedonists? Here is where those three little letters, i-s-m make their impact. As we take in learned, the suffix -ism transforms a invent into a title for an entire lifespan and world view. Hedonism indicates a body of thought, a lense through which to view the universe in which the summum bonum, the highest good of man and the final purpose of his creation is found in the enjoyment of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. So what is desire for under this system, constantly and continuously is the increase of pleasure and the decrease of pain. The grow of Hedonism can be traced back to the fifth century BC to the old-fashioned Greek school of the Cyrenaics. The Cyrenaics were named after their native city of Cyrene in conglutination A frica.Their focus on the pleasure of the moment as the supreme good reflected a general skepticism Only immediate sensations can be known. Concern with the past or the future ca drops uncertainty and anxiety, and should therefore be avoided. Gross excess and reckless abandon in sexuality and the use of alcohol are associated with this particular philosophical principal. Greek religious homage to the god Dionysius and later Roman celebrations of the Bacchanalia, orgiastic festivals honoring Bacchus, the god of booze are similar manifestations of a Cyrenaic-style Hedonism. In these cases, the celebrant sought inflammation from every-day inhibitions and a mystical experience of ecstasy, aided at times by temple prostitutes. The Epicurean school of hedonistic philosophy might be looked on as the next stage of Hedonism. Named after its founder, Epicurus, and started around 306 BC, Epicureanism was a more moderate variety of the seeking of pleasure, recognizing the problem ofThe Hedoni stic riddleIf you dont strain what is sought, you lose by frustration, if you do chance on what is sought, you lose by boredom. Either way, pleasure is non consistently attained. consequently Epicureans sought not necessarily the maximum pleasure, but instead the optimal pleasure, all things considered. Too much wine leads to a hangover, not euphoria. So the balanced enjoyment of pleasure was the substance by which Epicureans sought to achieve philosophical ataraxia, or peace of mind. The term epicurean is even in use today as denoting a person of exquisite tastes and epicurean palate, enjoying the finer things in life in a refined and forward-looking manner. Hedonism capitalizes on the natural attraction to pleasure and aversion to pain with which we, as feeling creatures, are naturally endowed. Turning the pursuit of pleasure into an ultimate standpoint of value, the hedonist determines the very meaning of goodness in terms of pain and pleasure.Modern forms of Hedonism can be clearly seen, along with their consequences in our social environment. The modern pursuit of happiness, redefined as the pursuit of euphoria, has resulted in intense expressions of escapism such as drug abuse and alcoholism alter even the youngest members of society. Happiness has been translated almost exclusively into the category of feelings. The function of the word feelings in contemporary gloss has undergone a radical change. The concept is so pervasive that standard traditional forms of language, categorical propositions and prefatory statements close theoretical thought see changed to accommodate this word. How often have you heard soulfulness state the following? I feel that you are mistaken, or, I feel that (this or that) is wrong. What is actually being talked about here is not a feeling, its a cognitive process, its thought process.That is not to aver that feelings are unimportant feelings are a vital part of what it means to be human. For the work of the ph ysician, counselor or the psychologist feelings are a whole appropriate category to investigate. In inter-personal relationships youd better be dealings with the issues of feelings or chances are youre not communicating very well. Feeling, moreover is not the said(prenominal) thing as thinking. The concept has so permeated our culture that people are talking about feeling ideas and feeling thoughts. largely due to pop psychology we have become obsessed with the outline of our moods, which is a focus on our feelings. How has this impacted our lives? If you are a thinking person you already know the answer to that question. Assuming youve been awake at some point during the last thirty years, you already know about the drug culture you live in it. Youve heard the statistics on young alcoholism.Youve seen the sexual revolution, and its results. The accepted definition of the word promiscuity anterior to the 1960s was Sexual involvement with more than one person international t he bonds of marriage. The liberated Helen Gurley Brown gave us a new definition Having sexual relations with more than one person in the same day. Are you aware that the divorce rate in the United States is estimated at fifty percent? It is when we buy into the doctrine that life is to be lived to play pain, including responsibility for anything uncomfortable that we begin to feel the impact of a philosophy of radical Hedonism.By saying the avoidance of pain and the pursuit of pleasure is the good (not just good, but The Good), Hedonism is making a value judgement, which in the hierarchical structure of philosophy produces a system of ethics, which in turn produces behavior patterns of morality. These are the cultural, ethical and philosophical reasons for the changes we have seen in society. As in all forms of philosophy based in secularism, Hedonism removes the Transcendent, destroys any Ultimate basis for Truth and Goodness, and leaves us with feelings, preferences, and a tout ensemble subjective basis for ethics and morality. http//www.angelfire.com/az/experiment/hedonism.html