Hedonism is a philosophical movement that privileges enjoyment.
The etymological origin of the word hedonism can be found in Greek. It comes from the term hedonismos , which is made up of two clearly differentiated parts: hedone, which is synonymous with pleasure, and the suffix ismos , which can be defined as quality or doctrine.
Hedonism is a doctrine of philosophy that considers pleasure as the purpose or goal of life. Hedonists, therefore, live to enjoy pleasures, trying to avoid pain.
This is a set of moral theories that emphasize that, generally, 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 goal of life, was promoted by the Greek philosopher Epicurus of Samos, who lived between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC and who established that the ultimate goal of any human being should be to achieve happiness. This means, therefore, that one should satisfy in a moderate way the needs of one's body, that one should seek the material goods that give one security and that one should cultivate friendship, love, letters and the arts.
Since the idea of pleasure is subjective , intellectuals with very different ideas are often included in the group of hedonists. It is common, however, to divide hedonism into ethical and psychological .
For hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure should be the goal of people.
Classical schools
Among the classical schools of hedonism, on the one hand there 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 greater than pleasure and highlighted the pleasure of the body rather than 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 pleasure immediately.
Hedonism today
In contemporary times, the most relevant figure in hedonism is the French philosopher Michel Onfray, who advocates the fact that being should be given more importance than having. This means enjoying the small 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, as she also starts from hedonism to explain life. In her specific case, she 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.
Religious condemnation
It is worth noting that various religions condemn hedonism because they consider it to be immoral . The Catholic religion, for example, maintains that hedonism violates the values of its dogma, since it privileges pleasure over love for one's neighbor and even for God .
Among the main precepts of the hedonistic life , the decision and will to indulge oneself, the fact of preserving time to carry out activities that generate enjoyment and the intention of enjoying pleasurable emotions without rationalizing them stand out.