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Hedonism

Started by Jimmy, June 20, 2016, 10:56:22 AM

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Jimmy

Hedonism has gotten such a bad wrap over the centuries because it was falsely associated with leading to a life that was self-destructive and destructive toward others. But consider some of its tenets, broadly,  and think about why its critics are mostly fear mongerers and why hedonism just makes sense.

1) Knowledge is based in the senses and experience. There is no such thing as divine relation, innate knowledge, and the supernatural.
2) Sense perception allows one to distinguish between the pleasurable and non-pleasurable, or painful.
3) What is pleasurable is good and what is painful is bad
4) A combination of mental and physical pleasures is a life that allows the individual to thrive, which leads to happiness.
5) A focus on one's happiness, while respecting the rights of others to pursue their happiness as long as it doesn't cause any one else harm, will results in a society that flourishes.

It sounds pretty sensible to me. What do you think?
For if there be no Prospect beyond the Grave, the inference is certainly right, Let us eat and drink, les us enjoy what we delight in, for to morrow we shall die.   ~John Locke~

Recusant

No problem with hedonism in my opinion, but in the case of #3: It ain't necessarily so.  :blue smiley:
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


No one

Quote from: Recusant on June 20, 2016, 03:13:22 PM
No problem with hedonism in my opinion, but in the case of #3: It ain't necessarily so.  :blue smiley:

Agreed. I doubt childbirth tickles.  However, the end result is awesome!

Siz


Quote from: The 9 Satanic StatementsNo1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
Works for me!

...Though I do have an issue with your own No.1)
Quote from: JimmyKnowledge is based in the senses and experience. There is no such thing as divine relation, innate knowledge, and the supernatural.
The senses are fallible and their data are often incomplete and prone to misinterpretation by the brain.

Still, an orgasm is an orgasm, right?!

When one sleeps on the floor one need not worry about falling out of bed - Anton LaVey

The universe is a cold, uncaring void. The key to happiness isn't a search for meaning, it's to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense, and eventually you'll be dead!

Ecurb Noselrub

Most people practice some level of hedonism, whether they admit it or not.

xSilverPhinx

What about drugs, such as meth or heroine? They are pleasurable, but are they good or allow an individual to thrive?
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Bad Penny II

#6
When in doubt revert to the golden mean, balance is good.
The Grey Mean isn't, he runs over cyclists and feeds them to his rats.
If you have days where you suffer you'll appreciate your hedonistic days more.
You could lay around eating chocolate and getting fat, having your toenails painted because you can't see them, but if I see you I'll have to hit you with my stick.
I won't enjoy the hitting, well maybe a little bit, but I do it out of a sense of duty, space mustn't be wasted, the ten toed sloth is to be abhorred.
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Jimmy

I personally prefer a type of rational hedonism, where pleasure and pain is evaluated on one's long term interest. So while it may be pleasurable to do heroine, it is unlikely to harm one in the short term. It is the long term use of the drug that creates a self-destructive life and is against one's self-interest.  I have never tried it because of risks involved.

Some pain is worth enduring due to long term benefits. Someone gave childbirth as an example. Exercise is another example, where the benefits outweigh the discomforts.

These would fall under #4, mental pleasure leads to happiness. Making rational decisions is actually pretty pleasurable.  ;)
For if there be no Prospect beyond the Grave, the inference is certainly right, Let us eat and drink, les us enjoy what we delight in, for to morrow we shall die.   ~John Locke~

Bad Penny II

#8
Quote from: Jimmy on June 21, 2016, 10:36:37 AM
I personally prefer a type of rational hedonism, where pleasure and pain is evaluated on one's long term interest. So while it may be pleasurable to do heroine, it is unlikely to harm one in the short term. It is the long term use of the drug that creates a self-destructive life and is against one's self-interest.  I have never tried it because of risks involved.

Some pain is worth enduring due to long term benefits. Someone gave childbirth as an example. Exercise is another example, where the benefits outweigh the discomforts.

These would fall under #4, mental pleasure leads to happiness. Making rational decisions is actually pretty pleasurable.  ;)

So what else is there?
We'll dismiss the philosophies with gods in them, I'll apologise to today's deity later.
I give my sandwich to this sad leprous lump, attainment of virtue is what life is for.
But you're getting pleasure out of playing the virtuous sacraficer of sandwiches.
Knowledge, life if it is anything is about bringing light to the dark.
Sounds dull but you seem to be enjoying yourself.
The future, my children, Long-footed potoroos, carbon emissions
Life is now, when was the last time you gave a leper a sandwich?
Nice day, nice sandwich, high on a cliff blue water blue sky, fuck off leper, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,9.1,9.2
Damn, I was sure he'd be a 9.3, I owe you a falafel.
It was a lost limb wind resistance thing
Of course
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Jimmy

Quote from: Bad Penny II on June 21, 2016, 02:20:03 PM


So what else is there?
We'll dismiss the philosophies with gods in them, I'll apologise to today's deity later.
I give my sandwich to this sad leprous lump, attainment of virtue is what life is for.
But you're getting pleasure out of playing the virtuous sacraficer of sandwiches.
Knowledge, life if it is anything is about bringing light to the dark.
Sounds dull but you seem to be enjoying yourself.
The future, my children, Long-footed potoroos, carbon emissions
Life is now, when was the last time you gave a leper a sandwich?
Nice day, nice sandwich, high on a cliff blue water blue sky, fuck off leper, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,9.1,9.2
Damn, I was sure he'd be a 9.3, I owe you a falafel.
It was a lost limb wind resistance thing
Of course

Okay dude  8) *eats sandwich not designated for me*
For if there be no Prospect beyond the Grave, the inference is certainly right, Let us eat and drink, les us enjoy what we delight in, for to morrow we shall die.   ~John Locke~

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Jimmy on June 21, 2016, 10:36:37 AM
I personally prefer a type of rational hedonism, where pleasure and pain is evaluated on one's long term interest. So while it may be pleasurable to do heroine, it is unlikely to harm one in the short term. It is the long term use of the drug that creates a self-destructive life and is against one's self-interest.  I have never tried it because of risks involved.

Some pain is worth enduring due to long term benefits. Someone gave childbirth as an example. Exercise is another example, where the benefits outweigh the discomforts.

These would fall under #4, mental pleasure leads to happiness. Making rational decisions is actually pretty pleasurable.  ;)

What if such rational decisions are based on faulty or absent knowledge? For instance, cigarettes. There was a lot of bad science in the beginning, with vested interests, and tobacco companies campaigned to get more people smoking based on faulty premises or inaccurate knowledge. 

I'm not saying that rational hedonism is bad, but rationality can be really limited in some cases.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


merx

I personally prefer epicureanism.I think that the real pleasure consists of simple life.Simple life,where we can love herself and others.I think that real pleasure is without fear and suffering.The real pleasure is when we can rejoice of simple things like a sunshine,singing of birds  and pure nature.When we know how to hold our nature and ourselves then it`s bring to us pleasure in very long term. :)

existentialcrisis

Ironically many religious leaders are hedonistic.
There are no facts, only interpretations. - Friedrich Nietzche

The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason. - Benjamin Franklin.

Arturo

I know this is an old ass thread but, it's making me think of me and many others I've known online; we don't trust our senses. Specifically the ones to do with perception, because we have hallucinations. And our mind has fixed beliefs that are entirely insane. For example, I used to believe that people I knew were hypnotizing me through facebook's newsfeed and ads with the goal of giving me unfulfilled erections and making me feel bad. And hallucinations are an entirely different thing. And scientists don't even know what schizophrenia is! But what we do know it is very easy for a mind to be ill. And in the case of schizophrenia, we don't even know we are insane most of the time.

So with all that in mind, how can you trust your senses are telling you the truth? How do you know you are not mentally ill? Maybe you don't think people are sending you coded messages or your balls are talking to you; but what if the sensation you are feeling is just a product of your body chemistry losing it's equilibrium and that the feelings you have are just a byproduct of you becoming sick?
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Asmodean

Quote from: Recusant on June 20, 2016, 03:13:22 PM
No problem with hedonism in my opinion, but in the case of #3: It ain't necessarily so.  :blue smiley:
This.

No problem with Hedonism whatsoever. That's not to say that I agree with the central tenets.

As for the number three thing, why even touch the concepts of good and bad? The understanding of them is highly subjective, so leave them well enough alone in defining your umbrellas, yes?
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.