Eudoxus’ hedonism

This chapter focuses on Eudoxus’ key argument for thesis T: pleasure is the good. It establishes first the text of the argument from universal pursuit and the basic framework of his hedonism. Steering clear of the psychological claim that pleasure is the only good at which animals aim, and of the extensional claim that pleasure is the only good at which all animals aim, the paper proposes that Eudoxus takes all animals to pursue pleasure in all natural and fitting choices. This interpretation is further developed by examining the argument from opposites and the argument from addition. It is argued that Eudoxus is justified in taking pleasure to be the only good so pursued, which licenses T. His hedonism differs markedly from contemporary version.