Hedonism: HSL's April 2013 Intellectual Discussion

[Philovitist]

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Take physical pleasure (which is relevant because physical pleasure is a chief goal of most hedonists). If one is being raped, he/she is receiving sexual stimulation that activates pleasure sensors in his/her brain. However, rape is inherently unwanted, so that person is unquestionably unhappy about his/her situation. Here is an instance where pleasure and happiness do not exist in simultaneity. Thus, happiness is not always around when pleasure is around. And that example is not some strange exception; one can stimulate himself/herself (creating pleasure) with drugs, food, television, what have you and still be unhappy. A pertinent example is “comfort food”; when an obese person indulges on food, he/she is receiving pleasure yet is also unhappy that he/she is eating poorly and/or is unhappy in general about being overweight.

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<p>This is not a demonstration of why most absolute statements are silly. It’s a demonstration that happiness and pleasure are different things.</p>

<p>Decent one, For sure. We need formal definitions of happiness and pleasure.</p>