Ethical hedonism : deliberation and analysis

Abstract EN

This study presents deliberation on and analysis of ethical hedonism and its position within value structure of ethical actions from the perspective of ethical philosophers; the approach of the present researcher is issued after analyzing the views of ethical philosophers.

It seems that despite what has been so far expressed, tendency to hedonism cannot be a criterion to determine the value of men's voluntary actions, in spite of the fact that pleasure, as stated in Holy Quran and the traditions of Imams, is a natural human propensity.

Some philosophers and thinkers have emphasized this idea and consider all human actions as an attempt to reach pleasure, in so far as they claim that even a human being's attempt to seek divine esteem is a fulfillment and satisfaction of pleasure drive.

However, we believe that the ultimate purpose of a free agent in doing moral actions, even if pleasure is at highest level, is achieving divine revelation.

In other words, God's revelation is not a means to reach higher purpose of pleasure; rather, it is the most fundamental goal in itself.