Question 1

What is the difference between Hedonism and Utilitarianism?

Accepted Answer

Hedonism, in philosophy, answers 'what is good?': pleasure, and only pleasure, is good in itself. Utilitarianism answers 'what should I do?': whatever produces the greatest overall good. They meet in hedonistic utilitarianism, the classical form associated with Bentham and Mill, which counts pleasure as the good to be maximised. The deep difference is whose pleasure counts. Hedonistic egoism counts only your own; utilitarianism counts everyone affected, equally.

Question 2

How do I know if I mean Hedonism rather than Utilitarianism?

Accepted Answer

Readers who land here meaning Hedonism rather than Utilitarianism are usually searching for phrases like “what is hedonism in philosophy”, “is hedonism selfish”, “what is wrong with hedonism”.

Aspect	Hedonism	Utilitarianism
Question it answers	What is good in itself?	Which action is right?
Answer	Pleasure (and the absence of pain)	The one with the best overall consequences
Whose good	Depends on the version; egoism counts only yours	Everyone affected, given equal weight
Key names	Aristippus, Epicurus	Bentham, Mill

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