Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A system of ethics that evaluates actions in terms of their capacity to produce happiness.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A philosophical notion, or system of ethics, which measures happiness in relation to morality. (Not to be confused with utilitarianism, which similarly emphasizes happiness but conceives of it differently.)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek εὐδαίμων (eudaimōn, "having a good genius, happy, fortunate"), from εὖ (eu, "well") + δαίμων (daimōn, "a genius, spirit")

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Examples

  • As for eudaemonism, sure, I follow Professor Long on this point although, my conception of virtue is colored by my reading Augustine, the theurgic neoplatonists, and the “Blue Socialist” tradition of William Cobbett and John Ruskin.

    Abortion on demand and without apology (Kiwi edition) 2008

  • With this old pagan eudaemonism the sage of the Rubaiyat has quite as little to do as he has with any Christian variety.

    Heretics 1905

  • Kant is an uncompromising opponent of eudaemonism.

    The Idea of Progress An inguiry into its origin and growth 1894

  • Whether it be hedonism, pessimism, utilitarianism, or eudaemonism, all those modes of thinking which measure the worth of things according to PLEASURE and PAIN, that is, according to accompanying circumstances and secondary considerations, are plausible modes of thought and naivetes, which every one conscious of CREATIVE powers and an artist's conscience will look down upon with scorn, though not without sympathy.

    Beyond Good and Evil Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche 1872

  • If this distinction is not observed; if eudaemonism (the principle of happiness) is adopted as the principle instead of eleutheronomy (the principle of freedom of the inner legislation), the consequence is the euthanasia (quiet death) of all morality.

    The Metaphysical Elements of Ethics Immanuel Kant 1764

  • This is also the politics entailed in Norton's eudaemonism.

    SOLO - Sense of Life Objectivists Chris Cathcart 2010

  • At a certain juncture, Rand and Norton part ways, particularly as it relates to the social entailments of eudaemonism.

    SOLO - Sense of Life Objectivists Chris Cathcart 2010

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  • The theory that the highest ethical goal is happiness and personal well-being.

    May 12, 2008

  • (n) : a philosophical notion or system of ethics which measures happiness in relation to morality

    May 8, 2009