A New Interpretation of Classical Hedonism and Psychological Egoism

In this paper, I detail the mechanism through which humans select actions by extending classical hedonism and psychological egoism. This framework rests on the claim that every conscious action comes from a person’s desire to get the most joy they can in that moment through viable and subjective means. Here, joy is defined by any positive feeling the person experiences and is inclusive of pride, fulfillment, peace, relief, and hope. Individuals may not always be aware of this internal assessment of possible behaviors through such a lens, but their actions follow the projected outcomes. The framework’s value stems from its explanations of how subjectivity, temporal projection differences, and viability constraints impact individuals' assessment of actions. There are many practical applications of this concept, especially in counseling and workplace management, but it has significant limitations that I will address throughout the paper.