Lexic.us

Definition of Hedonism

1. Noun. The pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle.

2. Noun. An ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good.

Definition of Hedonism

1. n. The doctrine of the Hedonic sect.

Definition of Hedonism

1. Noun. (ethics) The belief that pleasure or happiness is the highest good in life. Some hedonists, such as the Epicureans, have insisted that pleasure of the entire mind, not just pleasure of the senses, is the highest good. ¹

2. Noun. A general devotion to the pursuit of pleasure. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Hedonism

1. the pursuit of pleasure [n -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Hedonism

hedgiest hedging hedging one's bets hedgingly hedgings hedgy hediondilla hedleyite hedon hedonal

hedonic hedonic calculus hedonic damages hedonically hedonics hedonism (current term) hedonisms hedonist hedonistic hedonistic calculus

hedonistically hedonists hedonophobia hedrocele heds hedylid hedylids hedyphane hee hee-haw

Literary usage of Hedonism

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Good Man and the Good: An Introduction to Ethics by Mary Whiton Calkins (1918)
"Many arguments for hedonism suffer from the assumption that hedonism is proved when a certain number of other theories are disproved, ..."

2. The Philosophical Basis of Theism: An Examination of the Personality of Man by Samuel Harris (1883)
"But it is a false method, characteristic of hedonism, and must issue in falsity. ... hedonism a False Theory. Before discussing what the good truly is, ..."

3. Ethics: Descriptive and Explanatory by Sidney Edward Mezes (1900)
"Moreover, of the two forms, Quantitative hedonism is simpler than ... Accordingly, Quantitative hedonism will be discussed first, hedonism second, ..."

4. A Study of Ethical Principles by James Seth (1905)
"(&) Modern hedonism differs widely from ancient, British from Greek. If we take Mill as the representative of the modern doctrine, perhaps the differences ..."

5. The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge: Embracing by Johann Jakob Herzog, Philip Schaff, Albert Hauck (1909)
"(2) Utilitarianism or hedonism, deriving from Bacon and Hobbes, ... (3) Evolutionary Ethics—a form of hedonism—affirms in general that society is a ..."

6. An Introductory Study of Ethics by Warner Fite (1903)
"hedonism AND IDEALISM The two psychological aspects of development are clearly ... hedonism AND IDEALISM AS EVOLUTIONARY ATTITUDES In the distinction ..."

7. Outlines of a Critical Theory of Ethics by John Dewey (1891)
"X. hedonism. According to the strict hedonistic position, the pleasure ... Kant adopts the psychology of hedonism regarding pleasure as the object of desire ..."

Other Resources: