I denied myself nothing my eyes desired I refused my heart no pleasure” (Ecclesiastes 2:1, 10). In the book of Ecclesiastes, the writer delves deep into the folly of chasing pleasure: “I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’. The hedonistic outlook is not supported by Scripture. With its newfound popularity, it developed into a more nuanced psychological and ethical theory, but the base remained the same: one should pursue the greatest pleasure. Hedonism reemerged with prominence in the 18th century under philosophers like Jeremy Bentham. The Epicurean school of thought went on to flourish, and Epicureans debated with the apostle Paul in Athens (Acts 17:18). Epicurus taught that there is no afterlife and so one must enjoy pleasure as the ultimate end, though he acknowledged occasional restraint could lead to greater pleasure later. Aristippus believed that the ultimate meaning of life is pleasure and, thus, pleasure should be man’s greatest pursuit.Īristippus’s ideas may not have taken such hold if he were not succeeded by his more famous student, Epicurus, who also subscribed to hedonism. Aristippus of Cyrene, a student of Socrates, is believed to be the first to preach this philosophy. The term hedonism comes from the ancient Greek word for “pleasure.” Our concept of the philosophy of hedonism largely stems from the ancient Greeks. Hedonists pursue a lifestyle of self-indulgence. Hedonism is a philosophy of life that supports pursuing all kinds of pleasure.

Define hedonism