One of Stoicism’s best attributes is that its customs can usually mesh with other philosophies and belief systems. A Stoic doesn’t have to eschew alternative thoughts and behaviours that resonate with them. In that way, Stoicism is a malleable and forgiving philosophy, despite requiring strict adherence to its virtues if you want to truly call yourself a Stoic. It is, for example, possible to incorporate some aspects of both Hedonism and Stoicism into one’s life. However, the philosophies differ in fundamental ways.
When it comes to hedonism vs. stoicism, both Hedonists and Stoics want to do the right thing for themselves and for other people. They seek a peaceful mind. Their goals are similar, but their methods differ. It’s like two travellers heading for the same destination, but one takes a train while the other drives a car. They’ll both arrive at the same place, but they’ll take different routes and methods to get there.
I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.
Rita Mae Brown
Hedonism: Seeking pleasure
At its core, this philosophy favours seeking pleasure and avoiding pain above all else. Humans quite naturally gravitate toward pleasure and away from pain, so this is almost intuitive.
There are many versions of Hedonism. Libertine Hedonism is an extreme form that supports the view, among other things, that sexual restraint is harmful. Altruistic Hedonism requires followers to also consider others’ pleasure along with their own before making a decision or choosing a course of action.
Stoicism: Honouring 4 main virtues
Stoics, on the other hand, don’t shy away from pain or unpleasantness. Pleasure isn’t their most important feeling. They believe that doing the right thing isn’t always the same as doing the easy or pleasurable thing, but that the effort will be worth it. Stoics hold their virtues as the highest principles of morality and their route to true happiness.
Stoicism also relies on characteristics that Stoics nurture within themselves for their satisfaction in life. Stoics understand that outside circumstances change and are largely out of a person’s control. They condition themselves to honour four virtues that’ll give them strength, regardless of what happens around them: wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance or moderation.
Hedonism vs. Stoicism: The similarities
Moderation shows up in the Hedonistic ideology as a guard against diminishing the enjoyment of something that’s pleasurable. Overindulging in a favourite food, for example, would lessen the enjoyment of it. Gaining weight, declining health and turning what was once a special treat into regular fare makes the food less special and pleasurable.
In Stoicism, moderation is a gentle warning to pull back before going too far in anything, from alcohol consumption to shopping to inserting oneself into other people’s lives. So the virtue of moderation is similar for both philosophies.
Although wisdom, justice and courage aren’t specifically mentioned in the Hedonist’s moral code, we might assume that they’re contemplated in the Hedonist’s quest for pleasure. After all, pleasure can mean more than a momentary physical feeling. For instance, one takes pleasure in helping another person out of a tough situation. That might require an appreciation of all three of the aforementioned virtues before the Hedonist is able to take pleasure in what they’ve accomplished.
Just as a Stoic would find nothing wrong in pursuing pleasure, one assumes a Hedonist wouldn’t find fault with concentrating on one’s own life and not focusing on what’s out of their control. In that way, the Stoic and the Hedonist are also on common ground.
The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.
Marcus Aurelius
Hedonism vs. Stoicism: 3 major differences
When one drills down to putting the tenets of each philosophy into action, fundamental differences emerge between Hedonism and Stoicism.
Emotions vs. virtues
If pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain is the ultimate goal of the Hedonist, it needs to come at the expense of everything else, including virtues. On the other hand, Stoics believe in tempering bad feelings and good feelings. They aspire to keep all feelings from overtaking the mind and to hold virtues at the forefront.
The role of pleasure
With Stoicism, pleasure is nice, but like all feelings, it’s meant to be regulated. It’s like the enjoyment one gets from eating a cookie. Once the cookie is gone, the enjoyment is over and the eater moves on. Stoics don’t depend on something external to make them happy. The happiness Stoics seek is a feeling of contentment that comes from living a virtuous life.
Elements outside the self
The Stoic puts most of their efforts into their internal fortitude via the virtues. They choose their behaviour by weighing it through the lens of the four virtues. Consumer goods, the behaviour of others and anything else outside the self are out of the Stoic’s control; therefore, they aren’t highly valued.
Of course, Stoics shop and become involved in squabbles at work and endure life’s frustrations. Yet, again, their responses are formed through their consideration of the virtues. The Hedonist’s steady pursuit of pleasure ostensibly includes circumstances caused by external forces, which puts them in direct opposition to Stoicism in this regard.
Stoics fully accept Hedonists
Stoics not only accept people who think and behave differently than themselves, but they fully expect to encounter them regularly. The Stoic believes it’s not up to them to convince anyone else, including Hedonists, to follow their way of thinking and behaviour. Stoics have confidence in leading by example, all the while believing they have no responsibility for whether anyone else takes on the same priorities in life. After all, that’s not their mission. Their aim is to live a life that makes sense to them and allow others to do the same.
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