It was the philosophers, Aristippus the Older and Aristippus the Younger, who lived in Cyrenaica, who first suggested that hedonism was the right waty to conduct a good life. That basic idea, modified of course, was adopted by Epicurus, and later was misinterpreted by the early Christians to mean a life of total self-indulgence, eating, and drinking, careless of the duties of life. Basically, the latter believed we are all sinners and should be endlessly tormented by the “fact” and cover ourselves in sackcloth and ashes. How this strange point of view gained traction is a mystery and a misery.

So maybe it’s got something to do with my Anglican upbringing, but I feel most uncomfortable about too literal an interpretation of “hedonism”, which has these unfortunate connotations of self-indulgence. It denotes selfishness and excludes any idea of doing constructive things for other people. I prefer the idea of pursuing what gives you pleasure. One can pursue a life of pleasure, fueled with moderate amounts of wine and good living, by doing a job you love, by involvement in the arts, by devoting yourself lovingly to another person, or helping the sick and poor. And a hundred other things, since we are all different, with different outlooks and interests (itself a wonderful aspect of the human condition).

Giving of yourself can be a joy, in particular. Philosophers seldom say so. Gorging yourself with food, drink and cigars, on the other hand, is not only unattractive and vulgar, but is elitist, since only rich, spoiled people have the means to crudely self-indulge.  Epicurus, as we all know, was modest in his daily living and an advocate of the restrained Mediterranean diet. He also ran a “flat” organisation, and was no empire building CEO. Good guy, which is why I like him.

So while we can be grateful to the Cyrenaic philosophers for rejecting a monastic life of woe, sackcloth and ashes, eating only porridge and lashing yourself with leather-thonged whips, I think (unless I missed something) that they should have been more expansive in their definition of hedonism. Let us enjoy the short lives afforded us, but do so in moderation, generosity, and with a sense of humour.