We considered an argument for hedonism that started with a list of potential intrinsic values and crossed all of them out except pleasant experiences. The reason for crossing out entries was that if they only ever brought pain and dissatisfaction then you wouldn’t want them. Which criticism originally directed at Socrates’ interlocutors (in the Ring of Gyges story in the Republic) could be applied to undermine this argument for hedonism?
a. Everyone seeks her own interests so no one sacrifices. Since moral actions are performed only by people, none are sacrificial and so are advantageous. But, since trying to act in one’s own interests occasionally fails, it is disadvantageous to try.
b. All of the benefits of pleasure could be had without it. The mere appearance of pleasure is what is valuable. So pleasure is not intrinsically valuable.
c. It is an unfair choice. To find out if something is valuable for its own sake you should compare scenarios with it and scenarios without it that are otherwise equal; you shouldn’t load the potentially valuable side with pain without doing the same to the other option.
d. Choices and autonomy are valuable for their own sake. The very act of having us make choices about what we value shows that the hedonist takes choice to be of value.