Logical argument (hedonism)

[The Transcended Omniverse]

I will present to you a brief logical argument that summarizes my hedonistic view:

1.) Having good value and worth in your life is dependent upon a good quality of experience. This is because if you were to live a life that has much good value and worth to you, then that state of living (state of mind) you would be in would be an experience that has much good quality for you.

2.) Having bad value in your life is dependent upon a bad quality of experience. This is because if you were to live a life that has the most horrible value to you, then that state of living (state of mind) you would be in would be an experience that has the worst quality for you.

3.) Having no value and no worth in your life is dependent upon an experience that has no quality. This is because if you were to live a life that has no value and no worth to you, then that state of living (state of mind) you would be in would be an experience that has no quality to you.

4.) Moments where you have good value and worth in your life are, therefore, moments where you have a good quality of experience. Moments where you have bad value in your life are, therefore, moments where you have a bad quality of experience. Lastly, moments where you have no value and no worth in your life are, therefore, moments where you have no quality of experience.

5.) My good (pleasant) feelings are the only experiences that have good quality for me, my bad (unpleasant) feelings are the only experiences that have bad quality for me (depression/misery, in particular, have the absolute worst quality of experience for me), and having neither good nor bad feelings has no quality of experience for me.

No attitude and no way of thinking alone has any quality of experience for me. It is only my feelings (moods) that dictate what type of quality of experience I have. It is not a matter of personal value judgment on my part in judging the quality of experience these feelings have for me. Rather, these feelings alone, in of themselves, possess good and bad qualities of experience for me.

Therefore,

Conclusion: My good feelings are the only things that can give my life good value and worth, my bad feelings are the only things that can give my life bad value, and having neither good nor bad feelings is the only thing that can give my life no value and no worth.

Moments where I am experiencing my good feelings are moments where my life has good value and worth. Moments where I am experiencing my bad feelings are moments where my life has bad value. Lastly, moments where I am neither experiencing good nor bad feelings are moments where my life has no value and no worth.

Other Person's Response: You can have the worst quality of experience of your life, but still have good value and worth in your life. For example, you could be someone with cancer having much difficulty in life. But your life could still have good value and worth to you if you, the cancer patient, helped and inspired others.

My Reply: But just the idea that my life as the cancer patient had good value and worth to me is, in of itself, an experience (state of mind) that has good quality for me. Therefore, my logical argument still applies.

Other Person's Response: What about a situation where you give up the good value and worth in your life to give to others and make their lives good and worth living?

My Reply: Even this would have to have good value and worth to you. Therefore, even this would have to be a good quality of experience for you.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Then, go forth and make good feelings for yourself. Just don't harm anyone else in the process.

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

Then, go forth and make good feelings for yourself. Just don't harm anyone else in the process.

I think this logical argument gives the most effective hedonistic position and I would like to hear the comment of others regarding my logical argument.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I think this logical argument gives the most effective hedonistic position and I would like to hear the comment of others regarding my logical argument.

Well, it basically boils down to a tautology, but if it works for you then the validity or soundness of the logic is irrelevant.

 

[Quintessence]

I'm not really clear on these terms you are using and what they mean in the context of your argument:

• "good value"
• "bad value"
• "value"
• "worth"

I suppose I find it odd because I would not put words like "good" or "bad" in front of value.

 

[icehorse]

I'm not really clear on these terms you are using and what they mean in the context of your argument:

• "good value"
• "bad value"
• "value"
• "worth"

I suppose I find it odd because I would not put words like "good" or "bad" in front of value.

I have a related question: What axiom(s) are you using / assuming to build your view?

For example, my unprovable axiom is: "improving the aggregate well being of conscious creatures is 'good' (and decreasing well being is 'bad') ".

Do you have a similar axiom or two?

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

I'm not really clear on these terms you are using and what they mean in the context of your argument:

• "good value"
• "bad value"
• "value"
• "worth"

I suppose I find it odd because I would not put words like "good" or "bad" in front of value.

Good value refers to value that is good. Bad value refers to value that is bad. Value just refers to good or bad. Worth just means a life worth living in my argument.

I have a related question: What axiom(s) are you using / assuming to build your view?

For example, my unprovable axiom is: "improving the aggregate well being of conscious creatures is 'good' (and decreasing well being is 'bad') ".

Do you have a similar axiom or two?

My axiom would be that having good value and worth in your life is always a good quality of experience for you and that your life cannot have any real good value or real worth if you don't have any good quality of experience.

 

[icehorse]

My axiom would be that having good value and worth in your life is always a good quality of experience for you and that your life cannot have any real good value or real worth if you don't have any good quality of experience.

So what if you sacrifice yourself or some of your time for the benefit of others? How does your view handle that?

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

So what if you sacrifice yourself or some of your time for the benefit of others? How does your view handle that?

If that is something that brought your life good value and worth, then that would have to be a good quality of experience for you. Refer to the bottom of my opening post with the person's response and my reply to it.

 

[icehorse]

I think I have to agree with @Quintessence and @Kilgore Trout

As it stands it seems a bit tautological, and a bit like you need to make the definitions of your terms more precise.

 

[The Transcended Omniverse]

I think I have to agree with @Quintessence and @Kilgore Trout

As it stands it seems a bit tautological, and a bit like you need to make the definitions of your terms more precise.

I'm not sure where the mistakes are because I am not seeing them. Good value simply means your life is good to you or something is good to you, bad value simply means something is bad to you or your life is bad to you, value can refer to good or bad, and worth is when something is worth something to you or your life is worth living to you.