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> There's really no point in his travels other than personal satisfaction. IIUC, you're advocating hedonism as a sufficient purpose for some lives. I think for

> There's really no point in his travels other than personal satisfaction. IIUC, you're advocating hedonism as a sufficient purpose for some lives. I think for many people, the possibility of hedonism as the greatest possible good causes them existential dread. Caveat: I've studied far less philosophy than I should have; I may be talking out my backside.

function_seven 7y ago
I'd wager that "personal satisfaction" is (or can be) something different than "pleasure". To me--also with little philosophical study--"hedonism" refers to just pleasure. It's the sugar of life. But I've gotten the greatest satisfaction in life from things other than sex/drugs/booze/games/etc. From creating new things, solving problems, and helping others. This is the protein of life.
philwelch 7y ago
Nah, that’s basically also what Kierkegaard said.
deanCommie 7y ago
Interestingly, I found hedonism as a SOLUTION for my existential dread. Of course I don't call it hedonism, but here is the path I followed. These are statements of fact to me, but of course they are highly debatable. Fork wherever your own experience does not match. 1) There is no God, as in a conscious being who created the universe for a purpose that is yet to be revealed to us 1B) The universe itself is uncaring, and it's current state is just the resolution of a very complex set of causes and effects. It's on a path, but there is no destination or goal. 2) There is no afterlife. Existence is consciousness, and when consciousness nds, there is nothing else. 3) Consciousness may or may not be special but it is irrelevant because we EXPERIENCE it as special. 4) Experiences and feelings are real, complex, evolving, and almost limitless in the range that you can experience over the course of a finite lifetime 5) Positive/unique experiences are inherently good to have. And good to provide to others. 6) Therefore, the only thing we can do is try to maximize the amount of positive feelings/experiences we each have, and maximize the amount we generate in others. 7) The exact balance between focusing on yourself vs generating in others, and the relative worth of being a force multiplier (e.g. sacrificing your own happiness for someone else, or multiple others), is an exercise left to the reader. So long as your actions contribute to a NET good for the world, it's probably okay. 8) What I don't like about the term hedonism is it makes it seem like I want to just sit around eating grapes and having sex. In a more macro sense, technology that helps humanity be more effective and have more leisure, a more egalitarian society, a multi-planetary civilization that is safe from extinction from a wild cosmic event are all things that I believe are of value to contribute to the overall increase of one's happiness/experiences, and to all of civilization. So my philosophy, whatever it is called, is completely compatible with humanity's progress
- billforsternz 7y ago
  Sensationally on point post thanks. Got through point 8 smoothly without feeling any need to fork. Please feel free to rewrite all the philosophy / theology etc. books in the world with this much shorter and more accurate message.

function_seven 7y ago

I'd wager that "personal satisfaction" is (or can be) something different than "pleasure". To me--also with little philosophical study--"hedonism" refers to just pleasure. It's the sugar of life. But I've gotten the greatest satisfaction in life from things other than sex/drugs/booze/games/etc. From creating new things, solving problems, and helping others. This is the protein of life.

philwelch 7y ago

Nah, that’s basically also what Kierkegaard said.

deanCommie 7y ago

Interestingly, I found hedonism as a SOLUTION for my existential dread. Of course I don't call it hedonism, but here is the path I followed. These are statements of fact to me, but of course they are highly debatable. Fork wherever your own experience does not match. 1) There is no God, as in a conscious being who created the universe for a purpose that is yet to be revealed to us 1B) The universe itself is uncaring, and it's current state is just the resolution of a very complex set of causes and effects. It's on a path, but there is no destination or goal. 2) There is no afterlife. Existence is consciousness, and when consciousness nds, there is nothing else. 3) Consciousness may or may not be special but it is irrelevant because we EXPERIENCE it as special. 4) Experiences and feelings are real, complex, evolving, and almost limitless in the range that you can experience over the course of a finite lifetime 5) Positive/unique experiences are inherently good to have. And good to provide to others. 6) Therefore, the only thing we can do is try to maximize the amount of positive feelings/experiences we each have, and maximize the amount we generate in others. 7) The exact balance between focusing on yourself vs generating in others, and the relative worth of being a force multiplier (e.g. sacrificing your own happiness for someone else, or multiple others), is an exercise left to the reader. So long as your actions contribute to a NET good for the world, it's probably okay. 8) What I don't like about the term hedonism is it makes it seem like I want to just sit around eating grapes and having sex. In a more macro sense, technology that helps humanity be more effective and have more leisure, a more egalitarian society, a multi-planetary civilization that is safe from extinction from a wild cosmic event are all things that I believe are of value to contribute to the overall increase of one's happiness/experiences, and to all of civilization. So my philosophy, whatever it is called, is completely compatible with humanity's progress

billforsternz 7y ago
Sensationally on point post thanks. Got through point 8 smoothly without feeling any need to fork. Please feel free to rewrite all the philosophy / theology etc. books in the world with this much shorter and more accurate message.