What is hedonism?

Hedonism is a philosophy of life that prioritizes the search for pleasure and happiness as the main goal in life. Adherents of hedonism, called hedonists, believe that pleasure is the highest thing that can be achieved in life, and they seek to achieve and maximize pleasure and avoid or minimize suffering. Hedonism has two schools, namely Epicurean hedonism and Kynix hedonism.

The first is Epicurean hedonism. Epicurean hedonism follows the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicurean hedonism emphasizes the importance of achieving long-term pleasure by avoiding excesses that can result in suffering. It involves the search for simple, controlled pleasures and a deep understanding of the sources of true happiness.

Apart from epicurean hedonism, there was also Kynix hedonism. Kynix hedonism is the opposite of Epicurean hedonism. Kynic hedonism emphasized extreme simplicity and rejected material pleasures. The Kyniks argue that true pleasure can be found in freedom from worldly desires and liberation from dependence on material goods.

Many communities have criticized the philosophy of hedonism for being too subjective. One person's happiness is different from another person's. So, there is no definite way to measure people's happiness. Another problem is if someone's happiness has a bad impact on someone else.