What is Hedonism, Who is Called a Hedonist?

Since the day of his existence, man tries to give a meaning to the life he lives by questioning existence, absence, good and evil. This is the purpose of philosophy. In the ancient Greek period, some philosophers put forward the philosophical view of hedonism, arguing that the best thing for human beings is to take pleasure. In this context Hedonists also argue that human behavior should be applied purely for pleasure. they said.

Although hedonism may sound as a selfish philosophical view, in the hundreds of years that have passed. Many philosophers have also been involved in the subject. and enriched this view, which is based on pleasure, with different thoughts. This is why there are different types of hedonistic thinking with many different structures. Let’s mix things up a bit and look for answers to the questions of what is hedonism, what is hedonism.

First, let’s make a basic definition; What is hedonism?

Derived from the Greek word hedone, meaning pleasure, hedonism It is a philosophical view put forward by Aristippos, the founder of the Cyrene School, one of the ancient Greek philosophers. Hedonism, also known as hedonism, with its most basic definition, argues that what is good for human beings is pleasure.

Hedonism, founded by Aristippus, a student of Socrates, perpetuated by Epicurus and its effects have survived to the present day. According to hedonists, people should always prioritize their own pleasure and implement their actions accordingly when planning action in general. Of course, many different interpretations have been added to hedonism, which has been in our lives for many years, and new types have emerged.

Before moving on to genres, let’s understand what hedonism means according to its founders:

Aristippos makes a basic definition and says that every action of man is done because of the desire to be happy. Happiness is in pleasure. In other words, it is pleasure that makes a person human. A person who wants to achieve good should avoid pain and turn to pleasure. Aristippus argues that bodily pleasures are more important than spiritual pleasures, that quality is unimportant and that pleasure should be sought in the present.

Another important name of hedonism, Epicurus, argues that spiritual pleasures are more important than bodily pleasures. Even defines pleasure as a peace of mind. Valuing wisdom rather than chasing after bodily pleasures is the greatest pleasure. Epicurus also attaches importance to the quality of pleasure. He says that chasing immediate pleasures will destroy future pleasures. The view of Epicurus is told in such stories;

Just as a rich businessman is about to get into his car with a bag of money in it, a woman comes to him and asks for money, saying that her baby is about to die. The man immediately gives the woman the bag. In the evening, those who see this incident tell the man that the woman is actually a swindler. The man said happily, ‘So there’s no dying baby? That’s the best news I’ve ever heard.’ says.

Briefly, some of the types of hedonism are:

• Quantitative hedonism is concerned with the quantity of pleasure, not its quality.
• Qualitative hedonism is concerned with the quality of pleasure, not its quantity.
• Normative hedonism argues that pleasure is the main source of human motivation.
• Motivational hedonism argues that pleasure and pain are sources of motivation together.
• Egoistic hedonism argues that human actions should be shaped entirely according to their own pleasure.
• Altruistic hedonism argues that the only way for an action to be moral is to give pleasure to people.

So who is a hedonist?

It would not be right to call every selfish scumbag that we come across as a hedonist because when we look at the types and the depth of the work not all hedonists necessarily attend crazy orgies, He doesn’t become addicted to drugs or eat anything that comes his way. The hedonistic person basically makes it a lifestyle to stay away from pain and turn to pleasures that give him more pleasure instead of pain.

Pleasures are personal. So disconnected from the outside world We can also call a person devoted to worship a hedonist. because he found pleasure in spiritual pleasures. In the same way, we can say that a person who has sexual intercourse with a different partner every day is a hedonist because he finds pleasure in bodily pleasures.

To call a person a hedonist, all of their actions and lifestyle must be studied. Anyone who says I only drink x brand coffee can be a hedonist, The one who says enough coffee for me. The subject completely depends on whether that person evaluates the taste quantitatively or qualitatively. In other words, the essence of work is to avoid pain and turn to pleasure. A person whose every action seems right on the outside is not a hedonist if he does not enjoy all these actions.

Here are some key traits that you can recognize as soon as you see hedonists:

• They are willing to try new tastes.
• They see every obstacle in front of pleasure as an enemy.
• They can ignore sacred values.
• They may tend to see themselves as the most valuable asset.
• They may ignore everything else for the sake of their own pleasure.
• They do not like to work at all, or they love it very much.
• Those who seek bodily pleasure may seem lazy.
• They tend to ignore or disapprove of rules and prohibitions.
• They are afraid of death.
• They may be overly fond of sex.
• They may avoid taking family responsibilities.
• They may have perverse tastes.

If you have noticed, it is not easy to make definite judgments about the characteristics of hedonists. Because as we said Pleasure is completely personal. and it depends on what kind of pleasure one wants from which action. For example, for one, having a family is the greatest pleasure, for another, being single is the greatest pleasure.

What should we do, quit the job and become hedonists?

If you can, of course. If you can quit your job and find a better job, don’t stop. you’ll be able to get a divorce and find a much better wife. If doing sports hurts, just lie down, you can buy a better car, buy yours, if you say I’m tired of this world, shut up in a room and start meditating. The important thing is to avoid pain and turn to pleasures.

Hedonism is often viewed as a selfish and perverse philosophical view. true, because there are many disturbing examples as well. But these disturbing examples often contradict logic. If you have too many sex partners, you will never experience emotional satisfaction, if you become addicted to drugs, you will never be healthy, if you say that you should not work, just lie down, you will never achieve the success of your dreams. So do you want to die young and have a handsome body, or do you want to enjoy the life I once lived? The choice is yours but the second option seems better.

The philosophical view that people live for pleasure what is hedonism, who is called a hedonist We answered frequently asked questions such as: We are curious about your opinion as it is a bit of a harsh subject, you can share your thoughts on the subject in the comments.