One of the earliest proponents of hedonism was Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher. According to Epicurus, pleasure is the ultimate good, and pain is the ultimate evil. He believed that people should pursue pleasure and avoid pain in all aspects of life, including physical pleasures such as food and sex, as well as intellectual pleasures like friendship and contemplation.
Another philosopher who supported hedonism was Jeremy Bentham, a British philosopher who is known for his advocacy of utilitarianism. Bentham believed that the goal of life was to maximize pleasure and minimize pain for the greatest number of people possible. He argued that actions should be judged based on their ability to achieve this goal.
John Stuart Mill, another British philosopher, also supported hedonism. Mill believed that people should pursue their own pleasures as long as they didn't harm others. He also emphasized the importance of intellectual and moral pleasures, arguing that these were higher forms of pleasure than physical pleasures.
Overall, while hedonism has been criticized by some philosophers for its one-dimensional focus on pleasure, there have been many prominent thinkers throughout history who have supported this philosophy and advocated for the importance of pursuing pleasure in life.
Another philosopher who supported hedonism was Jeremy Bentham, a British philosopher who is known for his advocacy of utilitarianism. Bentham believed that the goal of life was to maximize pleasure and minimize pain for the greatest number of people possible. He argued that actions should be judged based on their ability to achieve this goal.
John Stuart Mill, another British philosopher, also supported hedonism. Mill believed that people should pursue their own pleasures as long as they didn't harm others. He also emphasized the importance of intellectual and moral pleasures, arguing that these were higher forms of pleasure than physical pleasures.
Overall, while hedonism has been criticized by some philosophers for its one-dimensional focus on pleasure, there have been many prominent thinkers throughout history who have supported this philosophy and advocated for the importance of pursuing pleasure in life.