home Dream Interpretation Hedonism in the modern world - pros and cons. What is Hedonist philosophy

Hedonism in the modern world - pros and cons. What is Hedonist philosophy

PART 2 OF THE COURSE – “COMPONENTS OF HAPPINESS”

CHAPTER 2.6

2.6 HEDONISTIC LIFESTYLE AND ITS LIMITATIONS

A hedonistic lifestyle is pleasant and brings joy to the soul and body. But its main limitation is addiction. The feeling of happiness when receiving any pleasure for the first time is very high. But with repeated repetitions, addiction occurs, and the feeling of happiness can be replaced by a neutral attitude.

The same goes for purchasing new products. At first, every purchase makes me happy. Then - less and less. For example, if a person is fixated on obtaining pleasure from acquiring material goods, then he needs to make more and more expensive purchases in order to continue to feel happiness. The threshold for pleasure is growing.

A hedonic paradox arises: more and more money and effort are spent on pleasure, but the pleasure itself becomes less and less.

To avoid this paradox, psychologists usually recommend:

1. Make pleasures of the same kind infrequent;

2. Try to enjoy more from the “spiritual” than from the material. Strenuous but exciting activities should be preferred to dull but easy pleasure.

Also, as mentioned earlier:

3. The more developed a person is, the less he has left. time for pleasure;

4. The more developed a person is, the more what brings him pleasure must be more complex, of a higher level. And the less he is satisfied with “simple pleasures”.

Those. We see here two factors that interfere with leading a hedonistic lifestyle - lack of time and insufficient satisfaction from “simple” pleasures. And the more developed a person is, the more noticeable these factors are.

In addition, the more developed a person is, the more he does something “spiritual” at his work. And this tires him so much that it is unlikely that he will again want “spiritual” things as pleasure and relaxation. “There aren’t enough adventures... It’s all talk and talk...”- the Strugatskys said in Monday.

But “body adventures” appeal to everyone, not just knowledge workers. This means that for more developed individuals, it is not the fact of receiving “adventures of the body” itself that is important, but the sophistication and details of this “adventure”.

In addition, the less developed a person is, the more likely it is that he will prefer dull, but easy pleasure instead of intense activity with dubious excitement.

And in the end it turns out that:

If you have too much free time,

then you can receive You will enjoy life more if you engage in any long-term, intellectually or spiritually intense activity. For example, creating computer slide shows about the life of your family. Or, for example, painting/photography. But this long-term creative entertainment should be diluted with short emotional entertainment and release;

And if you don't have enough free time,

then you have more short but violent emotional “shocks” are suitable. It doesn’t matter whether it’s rough sex, football, or downhill skiing – whatever you like best. Moreover, it is precisely when there is a lack of time that alternating different types of such entertainment is very important.

Such a life will be much more “tastier” and will create a feeling of being full of emotions and “adventures” of different types.

So, the main factors that determine and limit a person’s hedonistic lifestyle are the availability of free time and the level of its development. And you should choose pleasures for yourself based on these considerations.

The hedonistic approach to life is most succinctly formulated as follows:

THE SHORTEST PATH TO HAPPINESS IS RECEIVING PLEASURE FROM LIFE.

Or A LIFE FILLED WITH PLEASURES IS A HAPPY LIFE.

And further: ANY BUSINESS CARRIED TO EXCESS -THIS IS BAD. It doesn't matter what it is - work, sleep, food, sex or anything else.

HEDONISM (from the Greek hedone - pleasure, pleasure) - English. hedonism; German Hedonismus. Moral and ethical doctrine, position, in accordance with which pleasure is the highest good and criterion of human behavior, determining the entire system of moral requirements. Sociological Dictionary

hedonism - orf. hedonism, -a Lopatin's spelling dictionary

Hedonism - Or idonism (from the Greek ηδονή - pleasure) - an ethical doctrine that recognizes sensual pleasures as the highest good and purpose of life. See Cyrene school. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron

hedonism - HEDONISM a, m. hédonisme m. A direction in ethics that recognizes pleasure as the highest good, the purpose of life; desire for pleasure, enjoyment. BAS-2. - Lex. Toll 1863: hedonism; Ush. 1935: hedonism; Krysin 1998. Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian language

Hedonism - (from the Greek hedone - pleasure) 1. type of ethical teachings in which all moral definitions (the concepts of good and evil, etc.) are derived from pleasure (positive) and suffering (negative). As a type of ethical teaching... Pedagogical terminological dictionary

Hedonism is (from the Greek hedone - pleasure) an ethical position that affirms pleasure as the highest good and criterion of human behavior and reduces the whole variety of moral requirements to it. The desire for pleasure... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

hedonism - Hedonism, hedonisms, hedonism, hedonisms, hedonism, hedonisms, hedonism, hedonisms, hedonism, hedonisms, hedonism, hedonisms Zaliznyak's Grammar Dictionary

Hedonism - (Greek hedone - pleasure, pleasure). 1. Ethical teaching that recognizes pleasure as the highest good and purpose of life. In everyday situations a person is called a hedonist... Explanatory dictionary of psychiatric terms

Hedonism - (Greek hedone - pleasure) an ethical doctrine, originally developed by the ancient Greek Cyrene philosophical school and Epicurus; recognizes pleasure as the purpose of life and the highest good; defines good as that which brings pleasure, and evil as... Dictionary of cultural studies

hedonism - Hedon/change/. Morphemic-spelling dictionary

HEDONISM - HEDONISM (from the Greek hedone - pleasure) is a direction in ethics that affirms pleasure, pleasure as the highest goal and the main motive of human behavior. Large encyclopedic dictionary

HEDONISM - (from the Greek hedone - pleasure) the desire of an individual to increase his well-being in the name of maximizing the pleasure received from life. Economic dictionary of terms

Hedonism - (Greek hedone - pleasure, pleasure), a direction in ethics that affirms pleasure, pleasure as the highest goal and the main motive of human behavior. Sexological encyclopedia

hedonism - -a, m. An ethical doctrine that asserts that pleasure is the highest good, the goal of life. [From Greek ‛ηδονή - pleasure] Small academic dictionary

hedonism - Hedonism, plural. no, m. [from Greek. hedone – pleasure] (philosophy). An ethical teaching, most clearly expressed in ancient Greece, based on the position that man always strives for pleasure and avoids suffering. Large dictionary of foreign words

Hedonism is a direction in ethics that affirms personal pleasure as the highest goal and motive of human behavior. The ideas of hedonism were developed by Aristippus and the Cyrenaic school. In Epicurus and his followers, hedonism comes close to eudaimonism. In modern times, manifestations of hedonism are characteristic of utilitarianism Concise Religious Dictionary

hedonism - noun, number of synonyms: 1 doctrine 42 Dictionary of Russian synonyms

hedonism - HEDONISM -a; m. [from Greek. hēdonē - pleasure]. A direction in ethics that recognizes pleasure as the highest good, the purpose of life; desire for pleasure, enjoyment. ◁ Hedonic; hedonic, -aya, -oe. G-th ethics. G-th philosophical school. Kuznetsov's Explanatory Dictionary

Hedonism - (hedonismus; Greek hēdonē pleasure, pleasure) see Hyperhedonia. Medical encyclopedia

hedonism - hedonism I m. A direction in ethics that recognizes pleasure, pleasure as the highest goal and the main motive of human behavior. II m. The desire for pleasure, pleasure. Explanatory Dictionary by Efremova

hedonism - GEDON'ISM, hedonism, many others. no, male (from Greek hedone - pleasure) (philosophy). An ethical teaching, most clearly expressed in ancient Greece, based on the position that man always strives for pleasure and avoids suffering. Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

HEDONISM - HEDONISM (Greek hedone - pleasure) - ethical attitude, from the point of view. which the basis of human nature is his desire for pleasure... The latest philosophical dictionary

The emergence of hedonism as a psychological trend occurred in ancient Greece. It is generally accepted that the founder of this doctrine was the philosopher Aristippus. What this concept actually means and who can be considered a hedonist, we will consider further.

According to numerous scientific sources, the concept of hedonism is interpreted as an ethical doctrine that determines the meaning of a person’s life, which boils down to a constant desire to receive satisfaction and various pleasures from almost everything that surrounds him.

This teaching defines unbridled joy, sweet pleasure, pleasure as the main goal, motivation for life and a kind of proof of morality. In other words, according to the philosophy of hedonism, the highest good for a person is to live a carefree, simple life, filled with exclusively positive emotions and devoid of all kinds of suffering and grief.

The essence of hedonism is human behavior that is entirely aimed at obtaining pleasure. This implies both physical and moral pleasure. However, much more often, a hedonist tries to get maximum pleasure from physical activities and material things.

Philosophical interpretation

Aristippus, who is the founder of hedonism, said that the soul of every person has a dual character: partly it is pleasure, as a manifestation of softness and tenderness, and on the other hand, despair and pain as harshness and rudeness.

Thus, Aristippus believed that true happiness depends on getting real pleasure from your own life and avoidance of all sorts of unpleasant situations, in other words - pain. Aristippus thought that real pleasure can be obtained precisely with the help of physical things, that is, tangible ones. For example, a hedonist enjoys delicious dishes and drinks, comfortable and beautiful clothes, intimacy with the opposite sex, a hot shower and other delights of life.

But Aristippus gave a secondary role to spiritual pleasures, obtained, for example, from watching an interesting show, attending a cultural event, listening to his favorite music, observing a picturesque landscape, although, of course, he recognized them as quite significant.

When discussing the philosophy of hedonism, it is worth mentioning such a famous thinker as Epicurus. Despite the fact that he was not at all an ardent defender of this doctrine, in many ways his scientific views are similar to the ethics of hedonism. Epicurus's worldview is called eudaimonism and defines pleasure as the principle of a successful life. And the main goal of eudaimonism, according to the philosopher, is the final deliverance of a person from pain, torment and unhappiness, and not just simple pleasure.

The highest satisfaction, according to Epicurus, can be achieved by completely getting rid of all kinds of suffering and pain. That is you can become truly happy, if you free yourself from various anxieties and unnecessary worries, as well as using earthly blessings in moderation.

In the 18th century, when the era of absolutism reigned, hedonism became an important life principle that all aristocrats of that time tried to adhere to. The French of this era were most imbued with the hedonistic trend. But it is worth saying that the very concept of hedonism during this period was limited for the most part to the desire to receive the simplest pleasures: physical pleasures, which were often perceived as immorality.

The revival of the multifaceted philosophical concept of “hedonism” occurred already in the 19th century thanks to the English lawyer and thinker Jeremy Bentham. Bentham became popular due to his idea of utilitarianism. This is an ethical and philosophical direction is based on several main postulates:

the meaning of human initiative is to find true pleasure and get rid of all kinds of pain;
the most important criterion for assessing any phenomena becomes the usefulness of the person himself and his work for the whole society;
the main criterion of morality is a guideline for achieving a sense of happiness for the maximum number of people;
The main link in the development of humanity is the constant desire to increase benefits by achieving harmony of social and personal interests of each person individually.

In other words, Jeremy Bentham argued that every person should have a kind of “hedonic calculation” even in everyday life.

Hedonistic lifestyle

But who can still be called a hedonist, and how does such a person live? Of course, first of all, this is a person who follows the principles of hedonism throughout his life. The main goal for such a person is to obtain a variety of pleasures and pleasures. A hedonist is a person who tries in every possible way to reduce his own suffering.

All the actions of a hedonist, as a rule, are aimed at truly enjoying life at this very moment, while not paying attention to the likely negative consequences of his actions in the future.

Full life, as the hedonist thinks, is a collection of pleasant sensations.

If at the moment something brings true pleasure to a hedonist, he will devote all his time and attention to this activity until a new hobby appears in his life. This is the person who is not afraid to make new and exciting acquaintances for the purpose of love and friendship. But as soon as the relationship has arisen will exhaust themselves and the novelty will disappear from them, the hedonist will instantly replace them with a new hobby. Considering that a hedonist values exclusively his present, even for the sake of momentary pleasure he is capable of committing actions that can entail very unpleasant consequences.

Undoubtedly, another feature of a hedonist is the abuse of demonstrative behavior and the desire to constantly be in the center of not only ongoing events, but also everyone’s attention. And some facts only prove this theory :

in the life of any hedonist, his appearance plays an extremely important role; not a single trend in the world of fashion and beauty can do without their attention;
Of course, it is hedonists who can safely be given the role of fashion trendsetters;
often it is hedonists who become the discoverers of new, shocking, little-known brands;
these people are always ready for bold experiments - hedonists are not at all afraid to dress extravagantly, wear bright makeup and commit reckless acts.

Hedonists are characterized by impulsive behavior, due to which they usually make purchases extremely quickly: such a person literally grabs from the window the first thing he likes, which is distinguished by its brightness and unusual style. After all appearance, just like the general appearance of a hedonist should be a demonstration of his main life motto: “I am exceptional and worthy only of everyone’s admiration.” In addition, it is extremely important for a hedonist to feel his own attractiveness and uniqueness.

Is it good or bad to be a hedonist?

On the one hand, a hedonist often manifests himself as a real egoist, because first of all he cares about his benefits, advantages and conveniences. On the other hand, some degree of selfishness is inherent in almost every person. Indeed, in our time, it is almost impossible to find people who are completely indifferent to issues of their own comfort.

Finally, what’s wrong with living for your own pleasure and taking care of your own comfort? Only one thing is important: to find in time the thinnest line between innocent pleasure and indifference to other people, their interests, dignity and honor.

Video

From the video you will learn what hedonism is.

According to Wikipedia, hedonism is the doctrine that a person should strive, above all, to obtain pleasure from everything. what surrounds him. It is believed that the founder of hedonism was Aristippus, an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in 435-355. BC. He argued that the human soul can be in two states: pleasure and pain. A happy person, according to Aristippus, is one who manages to have pleasure as often as possible. Moreover, this pleasure, first of all, must be physical and tangible. For example, a person gets pleasure from delicious food and delicious drinks, from intimate intimacy with a partner, from comfortable clothes, a hot bath, etc.

Aristippus placed mental pleasure (from a beautiful landscape, listening to music, watching a play, etc.) in a secondary place, although he recognized its importance.

The doctrine of hedonism was further developed in the works of other philosophers, in particular Epicurus. According to Epicurus, the highest happiness and pleasure in life can be obtained by getting rid of pain and suffering. But pain and suffering are often the natural consequence of excess and lack of healthy moderation. For example, if you eat too much, you shouldn't be surprised by digestive problems. Or if a person leads a too idle lifestyle, protecting himself from the slightest stress, as a result he may have problems with the heart and joints. Therefore, Epicurus called for reasonable moderation in everything.

The English philosopher and sociologist W. Bentan, who lived in the 18th–19th centuries, called such views of Epicurus hedonic prudence.

Is hedonism good or bad?

Is it hard to be a hedonist? It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. On the one hand, a hedonist often behaves like an egoist, caring primarily about his own conveniences and advantages. On the other hand, to some extent, selfishness is inherent in the vast majority of people. After all, there are relatively few selfless devotees who are absolutely concerned with matters of their own convenience and benefit.

After all, what's wrong if a person strives to enjoy life? It is only important that this desire does not become too strong, does not turn into an obsession, causing one to forget about honor, decency, and the interests of other people. That is, in the case of hedonism, one must also try to adhere to a certain “golden mean”. You must always remain human, listen to other people and not “go over your head.”

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. The modern world is an incredible abundance of pleasant things and entertainment. In such conditions it is difficult to rely on and remain an ascetic.

But the elevation of pleasure to its apogee was practiced long before the advent of expensive cars, dishes from all over the world in one restaurant and things for every taste. Is it possible that hedonism is a natural state for humanity that has always been in our nature? Or not? Let's figure it out.

Excursion into history

Aristippus is an ancient Greek philosopher and father such a doctrine as hedonism. In his concept, he believed that there are only two states for a person, which are diametrically opposed in nature. This is pleasure and pain.

What kind of pleasure it is and how it is achieved does not matter. Because it still brings a high level of pleasure, in which there is no place for suffering. Meaning of life Aristippus interpreted it exactly as physical pleasure.

Hedonism in the modern world

Due to the pace of modern life, a person bears a lot of responsibilities and routine tasks that he must perform to survive in society. A large information flow tires us, and this makes us chronically dissatisfied.

Therefore, more and more people are joining the trend of hedonism, to enjoy now. And not to work from early morning until late evening, so that somewhere later you can buy an apartment for your old age.

An abundance of pleasant things and a variety of entertainment allows you to achieve pleasure right now. Hedonists strive to acquire the best things, because they often believe that this is what can bring happiness. For example, expensive alcoholic drinks, a leather sofa.

Society began to distinguish healthy and unhealthy hedonism. The first includes satisfying one’s desires without harming other people and the environment. The second one has the opposite position. When a person, in order to obtain pleasure, is ready to disregard the feelings of others or morality, laws.

Examples of excessive hedonism

There are many examples in history when hedonism went beyond acceptable limits and left a negative imprint on society:

During the gold rush in California, people rushed to look for the precious metal in order to get rich quickly. They left their homes and lived in special camps. Opium was brought there, and people, wanting to get at least illusory pleasure, became drug addicts and could no longer get anything.
After the revolution in France, hashish was a common way to achieve pleasure. Almost all highly intelligent people of that time exchanged their high ideals for pleasures of this dubious kind.
During Prohibition, another form of pleasure was banned – alcohol. However, in underground clubs it was poured out to everyone willing and able to pay. Even those who had no addiction to alcohol before now wanted to get what was banned throughout America (forbidden pleasure).
The hippie era. They took psychedelic substances and also advocated, including sexual intercourse. They found happiness in freedom and baubles in their arms. As a result, their subculture was lost among hundreds of others.

If you listen to your desires and while striving for self-development, and not to receive pleasure at the expense of others, then hedonism as a movement and philosophy of life coexists normally with other life positions. At least that's how it was until today.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site