Indian Philosophy: Charvak as hedonist?
Charvaka school of thought was heterodox, meaning its followers did not believe in the authority of Vedas. However, because the times were exceedingly pro-Vedic (if I may use the term), they were met with harsh criticisms. So whatever is known about the Charvakas is through commentaries upon them as written in the texts of other sages or schools of thought (eg. Sankara, Jainism, Buddhism etc). Naturally, these commentaries are biased in the favour of the commentator and Charvakas are at the receiving end of criticism and rejection. Not that they cared though. Their philosophy was simple, Eat Drink and Be Merry. Still, it is hard to believe that a cult so popular at its peak, there was nothing more to it other than hedonism. Since very little, almost negligible material is present for us to make sense of their philosophy the way they meant it, there's no way to know whether they really were hardcore hedonists or there was more to their lives than just pleasures. I'd go as far as to say that other commentators have been rather harsh on the Charvakas, their philosophy wasn't all that bad.
Do Believe Hedonism is The Right Philosophy For Life?
Actually what Epicurus said was that pleasure is the absence of pain. Any kind of pain, from hungry, emotional etc. It is more than just the reason we do stuff is to maximize pleasure. It is not at any time about gaining power of any kind that would be contrary to his teachings. It is about having minimal expectations and enjoying the simply pleasures of life. Of living a life in harmony with nature, not striving against it. Suggested reading.. The Vatican Papers by Epicurus.
What is the meaning of the hedonism in philosophical term.?
describes any way of thinking that gives pleasure a central role. Hedonism can be generally summed up as "pleasure is the highest good" or — in an ethical formulation — "whatever causes pleasure is right." Furthermore, Hedonism can be defined as the doctrine holding that behavior is motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. The hedonistic view focuses on increasing pleasure and reducing pain. Note that while the terms were originally employed literally, this is no longer the case. There seems to be no common ground on what actually constitutes pleasurable or painful activities. The hedonistic philosophy usually has a sexual or liberal connotation.
What are some philosophical ideas that you agree with?
When I think about philosophy, I like to use the word “viable” to refer to things that make sense.For example, I think that utilitarianism is “viable”, but we don’t use it in real life since we don’t have the instrumentation to measure pleasure and suffering.So there are ideas that I think are viable and ideas that I personally use myself.My personal ethics is up for debate, but is currently a paradigm of nihilism, which then turns into egoism/hedonism. So I believe that nothing has inherent value, therefore I will act for my own self interest. All of my beliefs of philosophy come from this point, since it is my foundation.If we apply this to a real life idea, I believe that murdering another human being is immoral, not because other human beings have inherent value, but because I wouldn’t want someone else to kill me, so I don’t kill anyone else.
How does Nietzsche disagree with psychological hedonism?
"Man does not strive for pleasure; only the Englishman does." Here Nietzsche is referring to utilitarianism a philosophy developed the Englishmen John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Nietzsche did not believe that men strived for pleasure. Nietzsche believed that people were motivated by a will to power not the pursuit of happiness or pleasure.
What particular aspect in philosophy do you agree with?
Seemingly everyone, including philosophers, have beliefs and opinions. These arise from, at least, training, teachings, predisposition, environment, and self analysis. A scientist is not a scientist because he believes in string theory or the Big Bang. He is a scientist because of the tools and methodology he applies to his beliefs, knowledge, information and opinions to reach his conclusions. Similarly, a philosopher may be a hedonist, an existentialist or a linguistic analyst because of the methods he chooses to employ in delving into reality and forming his conclusions.At it’s heart human thought, understanding, society, knowledge and communication rely upon language. Increasingly, philosophical inquiry is promotion the necessity of clarity of each terms meaning and usage, and the establishment of agreement on what will be counted as acceptable evidence to gather for verification, proofs, and truth.
Which do you think is a better philosophy, Epicureanism or Stoicism?
Either — it depends on the circumstances.Hey, get that gun away from my head! I know it’s boring, but let me explain!Stoicism is the philosophy on how you should accept your circumstances, by not getting overly attached to outside circumstances and remaining, well, Stoic.I know people hate the word ‘Stoic’ used in its colloquial definition, but it does have a grain of truth to it. It believes in practicing virtue — namely prudence, justice, fortitude, and courage — over outside circumstances: all outside events are just indifferent.On the other hand, Epicureanism is the philosophy that pleasure is the highest good, but should be pursued in moderation, as if not, it would hurt more when you lose it and could have negative side effects — for example, if you drink too much, you will end up an alcoholic.Both of these philosophy are of course not compatible. However, I think if you pick and choose between them you could come up with something viable.For example, you could live the lifestyle of an Epicurean, by enjoying pleasures in moderation, whilst also realizing it doesn’t matter — virtue matters. However, as even the Stoics admit, no sane person would willingly want to suffer. The Epicurean lifestyle, it seems, would be your best bet for not suffering: live in moderation, and get rid of things you don’t need.If suffering does come your way, though, you should bear it like a Stoic, not getting overly attached and practicing virtue. Exercises in Asceticism could help lower your attachment, but it isn’t mandatory.Gun to my head (I already told you to put that gun away!), I would pick Stoicism. Although imperfect, it is seemingly compatible with the worldview I stated of the mixing of the two. Seneca was known to quote Epicurus all the time, and likely would have viewed this lifestyle in a positive light.Pure Epicureanism, though, views pleasure as the highest good, thus prolonging attachment and thus, suffering.
What do you think about hedonism?
Hedonism is commonly thought of as the aimless pursuit of pleasure or of sensual self-indulgence. In philosophy, hedonism is based on the view that hedonism is plausibly man’s highest good. The Greek philosopher Epicurus said, “ We recognise pleasure as the first good innate in us, and from pleasure we begin every act of choice and avoidance, and to pleasure we return again, using the feeling as the standard by which we judge the good.”A hedonist would say that any good that one can do for any other person will be a contribution to his or her pleasurable experience.