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I support a
philosophy that I have labeled (for lack of anything more appropriate or
accurate) 'Practical Hedonism'.
While the
religious will attempt to put words into our mouths, and to define it
according to their misconstructions,
Morality is a matter
of intentions regarding actions: unwise intentions beget unwise actions
that lead to pain. That is why we are concerned with premeditation in our
secular courts. A harmful act against another human being, whether
directly or indirectly, is immoral if that harm was the result of
intention; otherwise, it gets deemed to have been an accident. Although
the religious declare it otherwise, a violent act of nature, such as a
hurricane, a tsunami, an earthquake, is not immoral because we cannot
claim that nature has intentions. Not even the religious, who typically
declare that evil is a feature of nature, can make that claim lest they
risk giving support to pantheism. God, however, does many immoral things
because, according to His/Her spokespeople, God does have intentions, acts
upon them, or induces others to do so. [Refer to
2nd CumBax 54].
Practical Hedonism must be considered a moral
philosophy as a result of our secular practices and rules by which we
recognize pain as a harm, happiness (or even absence of pain) as a
pleasure, and intention as the driving force. ARBITERS OF MORALITY
 are
those elements of human endeavor that determine right and wrong for any
person or, in the larger sense, any society or group. From observations,
and the realization that others will be affected much the same as one's
self, arises empathy. In every case, how any individual (again, individual
person or group) will perceive good (right) and bad (wrong) will be
determined by expectations of pleasure versus pain, aspirations,
circumstances, inclinations and other genetic determinants, and experience
(including education). Such expectations will arise from considerations
about pain regarding himself, and equally about pain as it affects others.
All kinds of terminology describes the gamut
regarded to represent pleasurable feelings and actions (Just a few from
the many words and phrases): happiness joyousness joyfulness
elatedness gladness beatitude bliss joie de vivre cheeriness
blissfulness felicity delight enjoyment elation jubilation
ecstasy exultation gratification delight delectation enjoyment
joy gusto amusement entertainment recreation distraction
diversion divertissement game extravaganza lark leisure
play sport amusement To give pleasure thrill enthrall amuse
bewitch captivate charm cheer delight electrify enchant
enrapture entertain entrance excite gladden gratify please
regale reward satisfy spellbind tickle titillate transport
Extremely happy overjoyed exuberant blithe cheerful cheery
ecstatic elated exultant glad happy high (colloquial) delight
joyous jubilant rapturous good humor jolly gleeful happy
jocular jocund jovial joyous merry mirthful celebrate
festive gay convivial frolicsome gala jolly joyous jubilant
lively merry mirthful. Enough?
Then, let's find some pain variations:
Physical distress disease injury ache discomfort hurt misery
soreness psychological damage injury affliction damage distress
harm hurt wound bruise blow inconvenience annoyance bother
complication difficulty disadvantage disruption disturbance
drawback headache hindrance impediment nuisance obstacle
detriment problem trouble suffering agony anguish distress
hurt misery torment sorrow heartache tribulation anxiety
distress
anguish dolor agony grief heartache heartbreak sorrow
suffering torment woe misery distress agonize afflict
aggrieve anguish depress desolate grieve harm hurt injure
sadden sorrow torment upset worry inflame burn hurt
irritate sting discomfort hurt afflict bite burn harm
injure pinch pound prick smart stab sting torture wound
ache fight argue upset. |
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Although many more can be found, that should
be enough to prepare you for the inevitable argument that "joy does does
not mean pleasure" that rises out of the religious camp like swamp gas
waiting for a spark to set it off. Pleasure is whatever feels good,
pleasurable acts are what leads to pleasure, pain is whatever feels bad
and painful acts are whatever leads to pain. The nature of each is they
are events that lead to action and consequences. There is no preacher
needed to tell you those things, or to tell you how Hell awaits those who
hurt themselves. You know what hurts or feels good, or you will discover
that for yourself if you don't heed others' warnings.
That does not mean there is nothing in
Practical Hedonism about which we can be taught, especially since general
understanding of hedonism has been for so long distorted not only by
religion, but also by those who will use anything as an excuse to pursue
excess (as in: I am going to one of those islands where I will be treated
like a god and women will throw themselves at me in order to bear my
child,") or avoid responsibility (as in: "I can't do that because it would
make me feel pain.")
For most people, mention hedonism, hedonist
or hedonic and instant images will rise in their minds about whatever they
regard as contemptible pleasure. Most Calvinist-trained western people
willingly tell you what they secretly find to be titillating by naming it
in this framework. We should not be alarmed at this: their titillation
results from it being absent in their lives while they suffer their
voluntary, unrequited and unrewarding pain from its abstinence.
Practical Hedonism gives necessary
acknowledgement to pain as representing the cost of pleasure, either paid
beforehand or after, as an expected cost, or as punishment. The pain of
study while others dance and party pays the cost for honors to the
dedicated student. The pain of a hated job is expected, by the worker, to
earn him the right to pleasure from the company and growth of his family.
The pain of giving birth rewards the new mother with her beloved baby; the
pain of learning to nurture it will reward her by the adult it surely will
become.
Not all things work out as planned, and
intentions go awry. Pain does not always gain us the anticipated
pleasures, but we must realize that, in itself, anticipation is also a
pleasure word within the proper context. For some mothers, the pain of
childbirth may be regarded as punishment for a sexual adventure, with no
pleasure to be expected from responsibilities with which she may feel that
nature has stuck her. The dedicated student may fail his courses, however
much temptation got resisted, and later learn how the stress of study had
worked against any hope for success.
All of that goes to show that it is each of
our own responsibility to know our own minds and make our correct choices
accordingly. No one can guess what a certain kind of pain or pleasure will
mean to anyone other than themselves. What tastes like spice to some may
be poison to others. Awareness of that is from what we gain Practical
Hedonism's Golden Rule: "Treat others the way they would have you, but do
not violate your own standards to do so." What sounds like grand sport to
a novice may bore a jaded person beyond tears, and elicit shudders of
dread from thoughts of being made to do that one more time. Still:
anticipation, we have said, belongs to pleasure, and dread belongs to
pain. It is time for the jaded one to find a new endeavor, and to make
room for the novice in his pursuit.
No more than that can be told to a person,
than to say that pain must be taken as a warning signal. When pain is
experienced, it is time to take stock of all that is going on with that,
and to decide whether the aim of it is for gain or for punishment. If for
gain, ask, "Is it worth it" and "Can a less painful route take me to the
same expectation?" If for punishment, ask, "What elements of my actions
and choices have been wrong?" and "Has someone else introduced something,
or some expectation, into my actions and choices to adulterate them?" and
finally, "Have I passed the point of satiation, to where what once seemed
pleasurable now seems like drudgery I must perform?"
We can understand the natural purpose of pain
must be to teach individuals the effects of various behavior upon
themselves and, from that, to understand how their behavior might affect
others. Awareness of pain leads to appreciation of pleasure. In Practical
Hedonism, pain is the teacher and pleasure the mentor. The mentor sets the
aim and the standards, and pain metes out the warnings and the lessons.
The moral implications of this arise from our increasing awareness that
(however we may respond to pain and pleasure signals) we all possess
nervous systems that are very much alike, including with other mammals.
From that, we can expect that others will feel and respond to pain and
pleasure signals very much the same as ourselves, and will inform us where
whatever differentiates themselves from ourselves makes them feel
threatened or hopeful. Morality, then, will describe the nature of our
relationship with other human beings as we interact throughout all the
events we share with others.
As at the beginning of this piece, morality
is a matter of intentions, and to intend to induce pain to another should
easily be seen to be immoral, and to intend to increase another's level of
joy/happiness/pleasure to be a moral aim. We can use our own experiences
and what we have learned from others to gauge what behavior would
best serve us in any incident, with due consideration given to our own
abnormalities, and most often be successful in our guesses about what
might be the best course of action. We will, more often in the beginning
than later as we gain experience, sometimes guess wrong and will be told
about it if the other(s) possess much wisdom. We will beg our pardons at
such times and go on with the possession of some new information to be
regarded as a valuable and cherished asset. We will find pleasure in its
future application, and have earned it with our painful embarrassment of
that moment.
Where wisdom prevails, we are each others'
teachers, and each others' students. You can read this at the bottom of
each page on this site:
"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 |
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