Are You a Practical Hedonist?
 

Would you really know?—a questionnaire

by Lloyd Harrison Whitling

We've all heard hedonism condemned, used as an example of the worst humanity has to offer, reviled and warned against by preachers and patrons everywhere. Why must that be so? Is what they claim about it true, or is there some secret about it they're afraid you might learn? Is it, then, a conspiracy against some truth that, once let out, might cause massive stampedes away from religious teachings?

Well, here's the secret: Most of religious teachings, and most of nature's flock, practice hedonism as a matter of course. Human beings are the first animals to wonder about morality, recognize the good and bad in it, and make a mess out of trying to keep them separated. Test your knowledge about a practical view of it that allows you to see how affected you have become by that, and to see how much the requirements of living have taught you about it. Check whatever applies to you.                       [Printable PDF version]

In this section, each question is worth two (2) points for a 'yes' answer. Have fun, enjoy, the pleasure is all yours.

1. [__] I believe that, since we are human beings and a part of nature's fauna, our moral valuations must be derived from the way our intentional actions affect other human beings and humanity overall.

2. [__] I believe nature has provided us, as well as all sentient life, with natural tools and senses that we must learn to understand so we can write moral principles and rules they will serve to verify.

3. [__] I believe most evidence supports the pleasure/pain principle.

4. [__] I know what "Pleasure/Pain Principle" means.

5. [__] I am not a religious person, since religion introduces unnecessary pain into one's life.

6. [__] Unless circumstances require clothing for protection, shade or warmth, I feel most comfortable when naked.

7. [__] I am willing to endure minor pain or discomfort if it promises to lead to avoidance of greater future pain or to a pleasurable reward.

8. [__] I recognize that gluttony in any form, while immediately pleasurable, will eventually lead to painful rewards.

9. [__] Therefore, I have learned to regard pain to be the cost of pleasure.

10. [__] The principle of action and consequence states most concisely the basis for my philosophy of life and delineates and regulates my behavior.

11. [__] Rigid moral principles work against my own moral values, and cause harm rather than good.

12. [__] No truth is ever final, complete, or inerrant.

13. [__] Truth is a goal more than a human possession.

14. [__] Truth and reality are better understood by science of today than by sages of ancient times.

15. [__] Pain is the price paid for pleasure, so pain paid in advance (as while working to earn a pleasure) is far less costly than enforced pain that demands interest after the fact.

16. [__] I believe human beings to be generally good, even though quite apt to be misguided.

17. [__] I would describe sin as actions done against humanity or human progress.

18. [__] I would describe morality as intentional behavior that tends to promote humanity's interests, including my own small part within them.

19. [__] I would describe evil as a kind of process that works against humanity's interests, including my own small part within them.

20. [__] I would describe good as that which nurtures human beings in whatever ways will promote humanity's interests, including my own small part within them.

21. [__] I believe we have no right to judge others except according to whatever pain or loss they have caused, or dangers they have posed, to ourselves or to humanity.

22. [__] Such sins would include dishonesty, destructiveness, betrayal of trust, murder, inciting unjustifiable war or fighting, pleasure obtained at someone else's expense, inducing pain to someone else from which there is no promise to them of pleasure, and others of like nature.

23. [__] Denying to others their rights to pleasure without justification, or without an explanation of how doing so will prevent their experience of undue, regrettable pain, must be considered immoral.

24. [__] Actions that induce pain into others innocent of any involvement, who stand no chance for gain of equitable pleasure from such actions, is immoral.

25. [__] Since pain and pleasure are measurable physical conditions, science should be able to determine a secular equivalent of good and evil by using Practical Hedonism as a philosophical guide.
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    Part B: Choose [A] or [B] for each statement. [A] represents pleasure; [B] represents pain; [C] represents neither, no choice, or unknown. Each [A] or [B] response is worth two (2) points, each time you decide on [C] is worth none.

26. [   ] In my mind, illness is generally [A]pleasurable or [B]painful.

27. [   ] I believe happiness must be a [A]pleasurable or [B]painful condition.

28. [   ] I find most aspects of religion as I know it to be [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

29. [   ] I find the study of deep subjects to be [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

30. [   ] I can imagine the experience of burning forever in Hell would be [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

31. [   ] Not knowing the answer to an important question has to be [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

32. [   ] When I experience joy, I have to say the feeling is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

33. [   ] To accomplish something one has spent years working at ought to be [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

34. [   ] To fail, on the other hand, at something one has spent years developing would be [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

35. [   ] To see someone I admire or love achieve a goal is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

36. [   ] To see someone I loathe win what I wanted fills me with feelings that are [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

37. [   ] I find hunger to be very [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

38. [   ] To see a bleeding animal dying at the side of a road is very [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

39. [   ] Anything that makes me feel excited is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

40. [   ] To even just be informed about someone's suffering is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

41. [   ] It makes me feel happy to do things for other people that are [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

42. [   ] I find hard, drudging labor to be quite [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

43. [   ] I try to make my relationships with other people to be mainly [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

44. [   ] To see someone mistreating another animal or a human being is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

45. [   ] My mental image of myself naked is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

46. [   ] To discover how to once and for all time prove that God is real would be very [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

47. [   ] To discover how to once and for all time prove that God is not real would be very  [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

48. [   ] A feeling of relief is one that is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

49. [   ] Having a toothache is [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

50. [   ] Taking a long trip with (my/a) family is mostly [A]pleasurable or [B]painful

More: [Hedonism]

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"To deny a right to the experience of pleasure is immoral unless that denial can be justified by a valid presentation of how pain will result from that experience in an amount that would render the expected pleasure regrettable; or, if it can be shown that pain will be induced in others innocent of any involvement. The role of science in moral issues should be to test that, predict that, and find harmless ways to demonstrate that."

— L. H. Whitling in the eBook, Secular Morality —