Founded by Aristippus of Cyrene, a pupil of Socrates, that advocated Hedonism.
Immediate, physical pleasure is the highest good and supreme goal of life. Aimed to maximize pleasure and minimize pain by focusing on present, sensory experiences, often disregarding long-term consequences.
Considered the first major Hedonistic school, predating Epicureanism.
Tenets
- Pleasure is the only intrinsic good, while pain is the only evil.
- Prioritized the pleasure of the moment over long-term planning, believing the future is too uncertain to sacrifice current happiness.
- Unlike the Epicureans, they considered bodily (physical) pleasures more intense and desirable than mental pleasures
- Cyrenaics argued that individuals can only know their own subjective sensations (e.g., “I am experiencing sweetness”) but cannot know the true nature of external objects or the experiences of others.
- While pursuing pleasure, they used practical wisdom to manage situations for optimal hedonistic outcomes.