Ethical hedonism

Ethical hedonism is a branch of hedonism, the philosophical theory that identifies pleasure as the highest good and the proper aim of human life. While hedonism can take many forms, ethical hedonism specifically refers to the normative claim that individuals ought to pursue pleasure and avoid pain because pleasure is the only intrinsic good. This view contrasts with psychological hedonism, which makes a descriptive claim about human nature—that people are naturally motivated by the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Ethical hedonism goes further by asserting that the pursuit of pleasure is not only natural but also morally right. It has been historically defended by philosophers such as Epicurus, and later developed by utilitarians like Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill, and Henry Sidgwick, who argued that maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain forms the basis of ethical behavior.