Pleasure is the purpose of life

"Hedonism is a school of thought that argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure (pleasure minus pain)."

"Ethical hedonism is the idea that all people have the right to do everything in their power to achieve the greatest amount of pleasure possible to them. It is also the idea that every person's pleasure should far surpass their amount of pain. Ethical hedonism is said to have been started by a student of Socrates, Aristippus of Cyrene. He held the idea that pleasure is the highest good."

We can think of liberal hedonism as a kind of restrained hedonism. Whilst it may be true that the pure form of hedonism is entirely liberal and restrained it is fair to say that the term 'hedonism' is often associated with decadence and libertinism. And whilst those two concepts may too fall within a liberal version of hedonism the purpose of this more narrow definition (of liberal hedonism) is to establish a distancing from the more ugly concepts of hedonism. Liberal hedonism is a kind of hedonism which distances itself from gluttony and debauchery for example. The notion is that we seek to maximise our pleasure within the boundaries of a civilised society. We pay attention to other people so (if we are drunk) we do not play loud music when it is disturbing. We do not abuse our bodies. We are aware of the consequences of our actions for ourselves and other people.

The stigma (if there is one) which surrounds the philosophy of hedonism is related to the fear that if people act only on their instinctive desires than they will do harm and hurt innocent people. Perhaps they will steal from the nearest shop or attack the next person to disagree with them in discussion. But this is not true hedonism because - plainly - this kind of thoughtless action will almost always result in more suffering (for the agent) later. And because we do not want to live in this kind of criminal society hedonism is rejected. But this kind of damaging hedonism is not true hedonism... or if it is it is certainly not liberal hedonism. If typical hedonism is not liberal and has no concern for other people then it is to be rejected but if hedonism means maximising your own pleasure within a construct of care and concern for others then there is nothing wrong with this philosophy.