RSL, Chapter 1, Hedonism PDF

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Chapter 1: Hedonism...

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RSL Chapter 1: Hedonism Choosing to pursue instrumental values means we seek physical objects to make us happy or make our lives more enjoyable. These values might include an X amount of wealth, chocolate, cars, multiple houses, or even a dog. Not only do these things make us happy, but they also increase our well-being and mental health. Intrinsic values are values that are not physical, but rather values that make us succeed in life or make our lives more meaningful. These values do not bring us any physical pleasures; however, they individually give us a sense of pleasure. Some of these values can include being healthy, or having an abundant family, or having an unlimited amount of self-respect and/or self-determination. These intrinsic values rather add to our happiness, rather than decrease our happiness. There are many cases in which someone’s pleasure may not contribute to their particular well-being. Take an alcoholic for example: they find pleasure in drowning themselves in alcohol to get rid of certain depressive moods. In the event they are feeling down or they’re not getting their usual euphoric feelings, they turn to alcohol—most do, but not all. However, this does not contribute to their overall well-being. Not only does an extraneous amount of alcohol damage your liver, but it contributes to some other negative health effects as well. A hedonist might say that while it does not contribute to their overall well-being, alcohol may just add to their “quality of life,” and we all hold certain qualities of life to a certain standard; therefore, we shouldn’t diminish it. One question I would like to pose to the textbook is this: if hedonism explains that everyone’s quality of life holds a different standard, why is it difficult for everyone to come up with ways on how to improve each others’ lives?...