Hedonism, Ethical

The term hedonism, from the Greek root word hedone(pleasure), is the multifaceted philosophy that individuals should maximize pleasure and minimize pain. Two major views of this philosophy are psychological hedonism and ethical hedonism. Psychological hedonism is the belief that all humans have been developed to desire pleasure, avoid pain, and that it is impossible for humans to pursue anything else. In contrast, ethical hedonism refers to the view that although it is possible not to seek pleasure and avoid pain, it is morally wrong to do so. Furthermore, ethical hedonists believe that pleasure is an intrinsic value (for its own sake) and all other values are a means to pleasure. For example, if you attended a rock concert, the concert itself is merely a means ...