Hedonism, Ethical

Major Hedonistic Philosophers

One of the first hedonists, Aristippus (ca. 435–350 BCE), was born in Cyrene, on the coast of North Africa, and traveled to Athens to became one of Socrates' disciples. Eventually, Aristippus opened his own school of philosophy in Cyrene and taught what is now referred to as Cyrenaic hedonism, which was a belief that there were two states, pleasure and pain, and that one should pursue the former and avoid the latter. Furthermore, Cyrenaic hedonists believed that all pleasures were good, should be pursued without guilt, and this would lead to happiness. In addition, they believed that bodily pleasures were more intense and more satisfying than mental pleasures. Consequently, avoiding bodily pain was equally paramount in their pursuit of happiness for the same reason.

Interestingly enough, followers of Cyrenaic hedonism did not believe in delaying pleasure just for the sake of receiving more pleasure later and, therefore, encouraged pursuing whatever gave one the most immediate pleasure. However, all unrestrained behavior was discouraged because then you would be controlled by your pleasures rather than controlling them.

Another ethical hedonist philosopher was Epicurus (341–271 BCE), born on the island of Samos and considered the most famous of all hedonists. Oddly enough, Epicurus had been charged by many for plagiarizing Aristippus's theory of pleasure and using Aristippus's teachings as if they were his own. Like Aristippus, Epicurus believed happiness was the highest good and pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain would attain this.

Yet there were some fundamental differences between these schools. One major difference between the Epicurean and Cyrenaic philosophies of ethical hedonism was that the Epicureans believed in the importance of mental pleasures. Another dichotomy was that the Cyrenaic hedonists believed in the quantity of pleasure, while the Epicureans pursued the quality of pleasure. For example, a Cyrenaic hedonist would prefer a larger portion of food, whereas the Epicurean hedonist would prefer the most pleasant of fine dining, even if the portion were not substantive.

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