The New Hedonism

Abstract

Abstract This chapter shows how the science of affect (especially the literatures on prospection and neuroeconomics) can be used to support a new and more sophisticated kind of motivational hedonism, which can evade all previous critiques of hedonism (as Chapter 4 will show). It discusses the role of valence (pleasure and displeasure) in decision-making, and considers whether there are forms of decision-making that don’t rely upon valence. It also addresses the challenge that not all decision-making relies on conscious valence. Throughout the chapter the valences are treated as intrinsic properties attaching to experiences, providing a sort of “hedonic gloss” on those experiences when conscious. The result in a form of motivational hedonism, but one in which pleasure attaching to future-directed representations makes those future outcomes or events seem attractive. The goal of the chapter is to use the steel-man strategy to build the strongest hedonist theory possible. Other views of the nature of valence are considered in later chapters.

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