What is the core idea of ethical hedonism?

• A. The belief that virtue is the only good
• B. The belief that knowledge is the only good
• C. The belief that the pursuit of pleasure is the highest good
• D. The belief that duty is the only good

Answer: (C)

Ethical hedonism holds that pleasure is the highest good and the ultimate aim of moral action. The moral worth of an action is judged by how much pleasure it produces (and how little pain it causes), so right choices are those that maximize net pleasure. In this view, pleasure is the intrinsic value that gives life its moral direction, while virtues, knowledge, or duties are valuable only insofar as they contribute to greater pleasure or reduce pain. The other ideas point to different theories—virtue as the sole good, knowledge as the sole good, or duty as the sole good—but ethical hedonism centers the pursuit of pleasure as the primary measure of what is good.