Hedonism is a philosophical current that privileges enjoyment.
In Greek is where we can find the etymological origin of the word hedonism . This comes from the term hedonisms , which is made up of two clearly differentiated parts: hedone, which is synonymous with pleasure, and the suffix ismos , which can be defined as a quality or doctrine.
Hedonism is a doctrine of philosophy that considers pleasure as the goal or objective of life. Hedonists, therefore, live to enjoy pleasures, trying to avoid pain.
It is a set of moral theories that emphasize that, in general, everything that man does is a means to achieve something else. Pleasure, on the other hand, is the only thing that is sought for its own sake.
Origins of hedonism
Specifically, this philosophy, which establishes the pleasure of the senses as the objective of life, was promoted by the Greek philosopher Epicurus of Samos, who lived in the period between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC and who established that the maximum goal of any being human should be to achieve happiness. This means, therefore, that you must satisfy your body's needs in a moderate way, that you must seek the material goods that give you security and that you cultivate friendship, love, letters and the arts.
Since the idea of pleasure is subjective , intellectuals with very different ideas are usually included within the group of hedonists. It is common, however, for hedonism to be divided into ethical and psychological .
For hedonism, the search for pleasure should be people's goal.
classical schools
Among the classical schools of hedonism, on the one hand is the Cyrenaic school (which developed between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC ), created by Aristippus of Cyrene , who maintained that there is no good superior to pleasure and highlighted the pleasure of the body in place of mental pleasures.
The Epicurean school , on the other hand, associated pleasure with peace and calm. The main emphasis of this doctrine was on reducing desire, and not on obtaining immediate pleasure.
Hedonism today
In contemporary times, the most relevant figure within hedonism is the French philosopher Michel Onfray, who is committed to the fact that more importance must be given to being than to having. That means enjoying the little things in life such as listening, tasting, smelling and betting on passions.
In this sense, and also in the most current stage, the writer and sexologist Valerie Tasso is very important, who also starts from hedonism to explain life. In his specific case, he says that this philosophy is what makes it clear that our existence must be taken as the search for pleasure in which the body is an ally and in which time is more important than money.
The religious condemnation
It should be noted that various religions condemn hedonism on the grounds that it lacks morality . The Catholic religion, for example, maintains that hedonism goes against the values of its dogma, since it privileges pleasure over love of neighbor and even of God .
Among the main precepts of the hedonistic life , the decision and willingness to indulge, the fact of preserving time to carry out activities that generate enjoyment and the intention to enjoy pleasurable emotions without rationalizing them stand out.