Study Notes on Ethics, Hedonism, and Consequentialism

Definition of Hedonism: Origins from the Greek word hedone meaning "pleasure". Earliest philosophical formulation by Epicurus, suggesting pleasure is the only thing worth pursuing.
Types of Values:
- Intrinsic Value: Something worth pursuing for its own sake (e.g., happiness).
- Instrumental Value: Things that are valuable as a means to achieve an end (e.g., money, food).
Well-Being: Understanding what makes life good requires knowing intrinsic values. Happiness is considered the only intrinsic good and unhappiness the only intrinsic bad.
Types of Pleasure:
- Physical Pleasure: Sensory experiences (e.g., enjoying food, comfort).
- Attitudinal Pleasure: The positive attitude of enjoyment, identified as true happiness that can exist without physical pleasure.
Key Features of the Good Life (according to Hedonism):
- Happiness consists of sustained enjoyment with minimal sadness.
- Hedonism argues for all activities leading to happiness, rejecting contrary philosophical models.

Epicurus vs. Critics: Epicurus emphasized moderation and inner peace, countering a perception of hedonism as merely the pursuit of indulgence.
Mill's Contribution: Mill suggests that higher pleasures (intellectual and artistic) rank above mere physical pleasure, emphasizing quality over quantity.
Personal Authority in Hedonism:
- Individuals can define their happiness; happiness is typically viewed through personal choices and values.
The Role of Misery: Misery unequivocally hampers life quality, asserting that happiness improves our welfare.

Difference Between Values: Intrinsic values hold worth for their own sake, while instrumental values are means to achieve something desirable.
Pleasure Distinction: Hedonists emphasize attitudinal pleasure as the key to the good life and note how physical pleasure varies.
Personal Say: Hedonism supports personal definitions of happiness over universal standards.
Pleasure and Well-being: Scenarios where pleasure fails to enhance well-being would be undermined by rival theories.
Self-Sacrificing altruisms: Cases of personal sacrifice for others must be weighed against hedonistic values.
Foot's Challenge: Questions on whether fulfillment based on false happiness impacts the hedonistic framework.

Critiques of Hedonism: Theories such as the paradox of hedonism assert that pursuing happiness directly often leads to disappointment.
Evil Pleasures: Ethical dilemmas arise when happiness results from unethical actions, questioning the moral legitimacy of hedonism.
False Happiness: Examines cases in which beliefs lead to happiness but do not contribute to overall well-being (e.g., Nozick's experience machine thought experiment).

Desire Satisfaction Theory: Suggests that well-being is achieved through fulfilling personal desires rather than through happiness alone.
Personal Authority: Each individual's desires and their fulfillment dictate the quality of life.

Critique: Satisfaction of desires does not always correlate with genuine well-being, especially in cases of unfulfilled, misguided, or poorly shaped desires.
Self-harm and Sacrifice: Ethical dilemmas present in self-destructive desires contradict the framework of desire satisfaction.
Informed Desires: The necessity of ensuring desires are informed and morally sound can complicate this theory.

Four Assumptions: Assessing the impact of religion on morality through belief motivation, rational action, moral creation, and moral guidance.

Theory Overview: Explores morality as aligned with human nature and its fulfillment, explaining moral laws through natural laws.

Nature of Egoism: Psychological egoism presents self-interest as the sole motivator for human actions, directly conflicting with altruistic ideals.

Moral Duty: Centers moral duties around self-interest, leading to potentially immoral actions justified by personal benefit.

Utilitarianism: Defines morality through the maximization of overall happiness; must navigate between individual rights and general welfare.

Issues: Critiques of utilitarianism stem from issues regarding measuring well-being, the demanding nature of morality, and potential injustices arising from prioritizing overall happiness over individual rights.