Asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism: the meaning of the terms that unites them?
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In this article, we will analyze what asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism are, and what unites them.
What is asceticism?
Before comparing the concepts of asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism, it is necessary to understand the full meaning of these directions.
Asceticism, also called Auscuse, is a harsh way of life, a voluntary rejection of the benefits and achievements of mankind, and the adoption of a different form of life. With the help of spiritual enrichment, special exercises of self -discipline, lifelong self -restraint, voluntary rejection of worldly accepting, and observing vows (such as rejection of animal foods, refusing to communicate with people, a vow of silence, etc.), as well as self -torture.
Asceticism was built on the myths of religion and ideology of rejection of everything, to achieve higher knowledge and benefits. It is found in all religions, but a special, martyrdom turned out to be in Christianity, in particular in Catholicism.
What is altruism?
Altruism is active selfless help to the world. An altruist can patronizing the needy people, children, animals, society as a whole. This is a form of self -sacrifice to help others.
Such a moral principle is constantly actively discussed in society. On the one hand, altruist people do a good deed, helping others. On the other hand, they sacrifice themselves, which can affect not only their lives, but also on the life of their relatives.
In the study of the direction of altruism, it was revealed that disinterested assistance is largely determined by the responsibility and principles laid down in education.
What is hedonism?
Hedonism refers to axiological teaching, the essence of which is to enjoy. In this teaching, pleasure is the highest good of mankind and this is exactly what needs to be striving for.
The pleasure system varies depending on the personality, and must fully satisfy his needs and desires. There are no prohibitions on enjoyment in hedonism. It can be food, physical activity, aesthetics, love joys and much more.
It should be understood that hedonism is not a holistic finished idea of \u200b\u200bfoundations, morality and rules, but only a clear designation of the goal to which should be directed. According to the teaching, society should be organized in such a way that it is comfortable in it and people receive maximum pleasure and a minimum of grief, suffering.
What is eudmonism?
Eudmonism is a path to happiness. Eudmonism is a philosophical direction whose purpose is to bring society, and every person in particular, to infinite happiness. This philosophy is ancient, and its fan was still Aristotle.
At the same time, it is worthwhile to understand that each person strives for their individual happiness, and philosophers still offer certain ways to achieve eudmonism. For example, Aristotle believed that each decision should be “weighed” on the scales of happiness, and already in the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas claimed that eudmonism can only be achieved through the purity of religion and the knowledge of God.
Despite such an opinion, a lot of fans have always been of the philosophy of eudmonism. For example, eudmonism was one of the foundations of the US Independence Declaration.
What is utilitarianism?
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory about the way of life of mankind. According to this theory, all human actions are determined by moral value. At the same time, each moral value has a certain usefulness and permissibility. It should be understood that each act according to this theory is carefully weighed, so that all aspects in contact with this issue, and to whom this issue will subsequently affect, must get happiness or some pleasure.
What unites asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism
Having studied the concepts of separateness, we can draw conclusions that unites asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism. These concepts have a lot in common, but there are differences.
Asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism are monolithic knowledge and theories, which have become a definition of life positions and ethical concepts, as well as guides to create a harmonious society. At the same time, asceticism, in contrast to altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism, calls for abandoning everyday deeds and needs, from ordinary life happiness in order to achieve the highest good and enlightenment.
All these theories are a unique fruit of evolution, since in a primitive society people could not imagine, So that a person voluntarily refuses food or blessings in order to give it to another person, and together they experienced happiness. It is worth recalling that in a prehistoric society, a person perceived a stranger exclusively as an enemy. But with the movement of civilization and the development of society, a person began to take care of not only about himself, his loved ones, but also about strangers “strangers”, while experiencing positive emotions and feel harmony with the whole world.
Thanks to the theories of asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism and their introduction into society, the world has changed dramatically, and the level of violence has decreased hundreds of times. This is an amazing phenomenon as elementary behavior manners, as well as orders brought up in society, have changed society, and with constant fear and tension, we came to a world in which a person feels confident, stably and protected.
Theories of asceticism, altruism, hedonism, eudmonism, utilitarianism are united by the desire to achieve happiness and confidence in today's and tomorrow's day. A sense of safety and comfort of life. At the same time, a distinctive feature is the path that is proposed to go in order to achieve happiness. For example, ascetic is ready to abandon the benefits in order to achieve inner harmony, and the altruist is ready to give these benefits to those in need in order to achieve a feeling of happiness with them.
But fans of the theory of hedonism indicate that you do not need to refuse anything - go boldly to the call of pleasures, and restriction can arise only when it can cause discomfort to other people, because they should also be happy. Fans of eudmonism also strive for happiness, but their happiness is conscious and is the fruit of the set of norms and rules, so that all people are equal and have equal opportunities for happiness.
Utilitarianism in this context of philosophy is a kind of “cherry on the cake”, as it includes the foundations of each of the previous directions. Each act, each decision made is considered at many corners and receives approval only after it becomes clear that all the parties either become happier or move to another level closer to endless happiness.
And in conclusion, we suggest watching a video on the topic.
Video: Andrey Gasilin: “Introduction to the history of ethical teachings. Basic concepts "
