hedone

Hedone (Greek: ἡδονή, often transliterated hēdonē) is the Greek word for pleasure or delight. In classical Greek usage, it can denote sensory, aesthetic, or psychological pleasure and is frequently discussed as the object or aim in moral and ethical contexts. The term is the linguistic root of English hedonism and related words such as hedonic.

In mythology, Hedone is the personification of pleasure, described as a minor goddess and the daughter of Eros (Love) and Psyche. She appears in late Greek poetry and prose, where she symbolizes the enjoyment that arises from love and the senses. In some later traditions, she is linked conceptually to the Roman Voluptas. Although she is not widely worshiped in ancient cults, Hedone figures in literary treatments of how pleasure relates to human life.

In philosophy, hedone is central to debates about the good and the end of human action. The Cyrenaic school, founded by Aristippus, held that immediate pleasure is the highest good. The Epicurean tradition argued that true pleasure consists in the absence of pain and disturbance, emphasizing long-term tranquility (ataraxia) over short-term gratification. The term hedonism broadly designates the view that pleasure should guide ethical decision-making; in modern usage it often refers to a general pursuit of personal satisfaction.

Linguistically, hedone derives from the Greek ἡδονή and is rendered in English as hedónē or hedone. The concept persists in modern psychology and philosophy as a way to describe experiences, states, or policies related to pleasure and satisfaction, and it also gives rise to the adjective hedonic.