The hedonism It is considered as one of the branches of philosophy, most of its followers determine it as a single goal in life so that true and absolute pleasure can be achieved.
Due to this, all those people who have acquired hedonism as their lifestyle, state that they only want to enjoy their life and not waste each of the pleasant moments they live, avoiding anything negative, in order to achieve the fullness of this doctrine.
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Within this terminology, certain contents are highlighted that focus on the activities carried out by the human being, this confirms that most of these activities are carried out to achieve interests individuals. People who believe in this doctrine only seek pleasure in order to achieve their own sense of satisfaction.
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In this article you will find:
What is hedonism?
This term consists of a series of moral theories that are fundamentally related to believing and confirming that everything that do the human being is the way to find something else, such as change, pleasure and everything that is sought for itself same.
It is related to selfishness and also based on the paradox of pleasure, since it points out pleasure and happiness as strange phenomena that disobey the normal principles in the sense that they can only be achieved indirectly, since pleasure is only acquired when it is sought in a deliberate.
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Origin of hedonism
When looking for a way to refer to this term, each of the actions that allow people to find and possess the emotional pleasure they desire are included. It is a philosophy that has been analyzed for many years and has been confirmed by its first promoter and thinker Epicurus, a philosopher of ancient Greece.
Epicurus, was a Greek philosopher who was born and raised on Samos throughout his childhood. According to the story, he was taken to the city of Teo at the age of 14 and it was there that he carried out his studies through the teachings of Nausífanes, who was a direct disciple of Democritus.
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During his life, this philosopher found himself serving in the military sector at that time, after he was returned to Athens and it was there that he formed his own garden and where he taught until the end of his days.
For him, happiness had to be the unmistakable dream of every human being and for which he had to fight throughout his life to achieve it. However, for this happiness to be achieved, the orderly establishment of material and spiritual wealth was necessary.
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The search for pleasure posed by this term contains a direct subjective character, in such a way that people who have different views on things are generally referred to as hedonists. Despite this, hedonism can be classified as psychological or ethical, which was drawn from the school of Epicurus, who maintains that the human being must cling to pleasures as a priority to obtain the happiness.
This term, however, is rejected by various religions, considering that it can undermine the principles they possess in various ways. An example is the Catholicism that affirms that before putting the own pleasure goes against the designs of God.
Representatives of hedonism
Among the main representatives of this philosophy are:
Epicurus
His philosophy is divided into three parts:
- Physics: He was in charge of studying nature.
- The Gnoseology or Canonical: It referred to the various criteria to be able to differentiate what was true from what was false.
- Ethics: It was the combination of the two previous parts.
Aristippus
He is a Greek philosopher, who was considered the founder of the hedonistic and Cyrenaic school that equated good with pleasure.
Lucretius
He was a Roman philosopher, poet and author of the renowned poem On the nature of things, this was considered the best work of the poetry of Rome, expressing the philosophy and physics of Epicurus, as well as the atomistic physics of Democritus.
Characteristics of hedonism
This philosophy includes important characteristics such as the following:
- Its main characteristic is its constant search for pleasure and avoiding pain at all costs.
- For all hedonists the main importance was the spiritual pleasure than the pleasure of the sensitivity.
- Avoid damage that causes pain directly.
- Epicurus was his ethical representative, who affirmed that leading a pleasant life was the best way to achieve optimal happiness.
- He indicates that you should always find a way to relax and enjoy no matter what others have to do.
- In this philosophy, material pleasures and money are not limited, therefore, they are not an obstacle.
Hedonism today
Currently it is ensured that this philosophy continues in practice, thanks to the deep traces of people like Epicurus who marked history, people today continue their way of achieve happiness through real behaviors such as enjoying listening, smelling and tasting better, avoiding anger, considering passions and maintaining the body healthy.
Other types of hedonism
The types of hedonism can be classified as follows:
Ethical
Regardless of the source of pleasure, consider social utility and well-being.
Rational
Seek pleasure directed by prudence, Epicurus said that freedom without chance had no reason to exist.
Psychological
It is the most knowledgeable, since it mentions that all people are inclined towards the behavior that they believe will lead to happiness, avoid pain-producing behavior to get closer to what is pleasant, and pleasurable.
Christian
It is used to show that people take immense pleasure in showing that they love God with all their hearts and seeking him is the closest relationship to him.
