Food, Sex and Partying as a Philosophy | Hedonism Explored

Once upon a time, the ancient Greek king Odysseus and his crew arrived on an island inhabited by the Lotus Eaters. These people seemed to live in a state of perpetual pleasure and joy, spending their days eating the sweet fruit of the lotus plant. Curious, the sailors tried the lotus plant and soon fell under its powerful effect: they forgot all their worries and abandoned their other desires. They even failed to remember the purpose of their journey and lost any longing for home, their families, and their children.

The power of the lotus became apparent to Odysseus, as did the danger of taking it. Those who indulge in its pleasure forget about their responsibilities, become apathetic toward other aspects of their lives, and are only interested in satisfying their never-ending hunger for the lotus. With great effort, Odysseus dragged his weeping men back to the ship. Though they resisted, he eventually succeeded in leading them away from the island.

The story of the Lotus Eaters serves as a cautionary tale about pleasure. Indulging in pleasure often arouses an appetite for more. As soon as we’re hooked on a particular pleasure, it’s challenging to part from it. It’s no surprise that many philosophers and religious traditions warn against it. Lust, greed, sloth, and gluttony are Christian ‘sins’ for a reason, and Buddhists see sensual pleasures as hindrances to enlightenment.

Yet, there is a philosophical view that acknowledges the value of pleasure in human existence: hedonism. As a philosophical school of thought, hedonism views pleasure not just as an enjoyable experience but as the ultimate goal and highest pursuit of human life. This video explores hedonism as a philosophy and why the pursuit of pleasure is actually pretty profound.

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We can’t deny pleasure is an important aspect of life. The human tendency to pursue pleasure and avoid pain seems to be a natural occurrence. Some argue that all human actions are driven by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain, a view known in philosophical psychology as ‘psychological hedonism.’ Given the human tendency toward pleasure, many ancient philosophers have explored its significance and even developed ethical systems centered on its pursuit.

The earliest record of a hedonistic philosophy is found in an old Babylonian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh, saying: “Fill your belly. Day and night make merry. Let days be full of joy. Dance and make music day and night… These things alone are the concern of men.” Another early concept of hedonism is found in an ancient, atheist Hindu school, the Charvaka, which saw wealth and pleasure as the only rational goals worth striving for by a wise person (although they considered wealth purely a means for attaining pleasure).

Then, we have the ancient Greek hedonistic schools, which expanded on the pursuit of pleasure in detail and gave birth to “ethical hedonism.” We’ll dive into these schools later. Pleasure also has its place within non-hedonistic traditions. For example, there’s Christian hedonism, which sounds a bit contradictory. Aren’t Christians supposed to be prudent and lovers of God rather than lovers of pleasure?

American Theologian John Piper believed that pleasure is vital to worshipping God, saying, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” He thought we should worship God not out of duty but out of delight. He wasn’t advocating for food, sex, and partying as the ultimate goals of a Christian, but rather affirmed that humans are, by nature, pleasure-seeking beings rather than solely motivated by duty and virtue.

Nevertheless, pleasure-seeking as the highest goal generally doesn’t get a good rep in major religious traditions or philosophical schools. Why is that? Perhaps one of the reasons is that the pursuit of pleasure can be a d...