Pleasure

Ok, so I want to know your thoughts on this.

Hedonist Ethics
(hedonae = pleasure)

Classic Hedonism says that any pleasure is good and, for example, Aristip from Cirene affirmed that any human is free to practice any pleasure he wants even if there were obscene consequences.

So, then, Epicur classified pleasure into 2 categories: inferior (material) and superior(spiritual) pleasures. He asserted that we have to work on not letting inferior pleasure to rule our lives and enslave us.
Another thing he said was to welcome an inconvenience first and then the enjoyment (not the other way around, feeling disappointment).

Epicur defined pleasure as the absence of distress in the body and the absence of anguish in the soul.
He said that the most important superior pleasure is the wisdom, that it becomes a virtue and that the life of the wise one is full of gratifications and is a happy life.

So, I guess what I want to know is, what do you think about this philosophy correlated to today`s modern world? Or what are your thoughts on his insight and this philosophy.

Thanks.

The work is “Letter to Menoeceus”.

Originally posted by sandri_90
Ok, so I want to know your thoughts on this.

Hedonist Ethics
(hedonae = pleasure)

Classic Hedonism says that any pleasure is good and, for example, Aristip from Cirene affirmed that any human is free to practice any pleasure he wants even if there were obscene consequences.

So, then, Epicur classified pleasure into 2 categories: inferior (material) and superior(spiritual) pleasures. He asserted that we have to work on not letting inferior pleasure to rule our lives and enslave us.
Another thing he said was to welcome an inconvenience first and then the enjoyment (not the other way around, feeling disappointment).

Epicur defined pleasure as the absence of distress in the body and the absence of anguish in the soul.
He said that the most important superior pleasure is the wisdom, that it becomes a virtue and that the life of the wise one is full of gratifications and is a happy life.

So, I guess what I want to know is, what do you think about this philosophy correlated to today`s modern world? Or what are your thoughts on his insight and this philosophy.

Thanks.

The work is “Letter to Menoeceus”.

sounds like modern day liberals and progressives...except that they dont care about 'inferior' pleasures takin control ofthere daily lives...because they dont like the 'spiritual' stuff.

Yep i would go so far to say that progressives and liberals tend to be a little hedonistic....but not the 'good' kind you are trying to portrey



[edit on 25-5-2010 by tauempire]