Hedonism

noun (uncountable)

/ˈhiːdənɪzəm/

The philosophical doctrine that pleasure is the highest good and the proper aim of human life, and that the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain constitute the fundamental motivation of human action. In ethical theory, hedonism takes two forms: psychological hedonism (the descriptive claim that humans always seek pleasure) and ethical hedonism (the normative claim that they should). Epicurus (~341–270 BCE) is its most influential advocate, though he argued for quiet, intellectual pleasures over sensual excess. As a UPSC ethics concept, hedonism is often contrasted with Nishkam Karma and Stoicism to illustrate competing accounts of the good life.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Utilitarian hedonism, as articulated by Jeremy Bentham, attempted to provide an objective calculus for pleasure and pain, thereby transforming private preference into a basis for public policy — a project that critics argued reduced all qualitative human experience to a single quantitative dimension.

Synonyms

pleasure-seekingepicureanismsensualismself-indulgencesybaritism

Antonyms

asceticismstoicismself-denialaltruismduty-ethics

🌱 Word Family

hedonist (noun), hedonistic (adjective), hedonistically (adverb), anti-hedonism (noun)

🔡 Root

Greek hēdonē = pleasure, delight + -ismos = doctrine, system

📜 Etymology

From Greek hēdone (pleasure, delight), related to hēdys (sweet, pleasant) and the Indo-European root swad- (sweet, pleasant), which also underlies Sanskrit svādu (sweet) and English 'sweet'. The philosophical school of hedonism traces to Aristippus of Cyrene (~435–356 BCE), a student of Socrates. The term as a formal label entered philosophical vocabulary in the 19th century, derived from the Greek through French or German intermediaries.

🧠 Memory Hook

HEDONE = SWEET (Greek): Hedonism is pursuing the SWEET things in life. Think 'honey' — 'honey' and 'hedonism' share the ancient Indo-European root for sweetness (swad). A hedonist chases life's honey — pleasure, delight, sweetness — as the ultimate goal.

🧭 Ethics & Integrity 📖 Seen in: Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude — Complet...

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