Atheism is Not Hedonism
It’s the world’s least fun book club
It’s the world’s least fun book club
This article originally appeared on Medium.
Atheism — the express pass to a life of relentless self-indulgence — no moral compass, just a free-for-all of sex, cake and taking naps.
Many people insist that, without divine commandments, atheists are destined for gluttony and endless Netflix binges. In fact, as an atheist, this is very often the type of response I get when I tell people I am an atheist: “If life is just a cosmic joke, then might as well be bestial and seek the easiest pleasures, because into nothingness we go” wrote one recent commenter.
By strict definition, atheism is simply the lack of belief in a god or gods. That’s it. There really is no direct comparison to hedonism, or anything else for that matter.
But let’s indulge ourselves and explore this comparison and how atheism isn’t the moral free-for-all it’s often painted to be. Atheists don’t have a VIP pass to an ancient Roman toga party.
1. Religion Did Not Invent Morality
Some people like to think that religion is the GPS of morality — without it, we’re all just lost in the wilderness, trying to find the nearest moral highway. These critics argue that without divine instructions, moral boundaries would completely disappear, and we’d all be living in a sort of chaotic free-market society where “Do whatever you want!” is the official motto.
But here’s the thing: atheists don’t need god or religion to recognize that, say, stealing someone’s car or setting up a lemonade stand that’s secretly just a front for illegal arms trading are, in fact, terrible ideas.
Atheism rejects the idea that morality has to come from above. Instead, it comes from all the humans around us who experience things like empathy, fairness, and justice. The guiding principle is “treat others the way you want to be treated,” without the whole “petition the Lord with prayer” part.
Philosopher Daniel Dennett once said, “The secret of morality is not divine command; it’s mutual negotiation among free, rational people” which is just another way of saying, “Don’t be a jerk.”
2. Pleasure Is Not the Only Thing Worthy of Our Attention
Hedonism suggests life’s ultimate goal is a nonstop pleasure party — guilt-free food, drugs, alcohol, sex, sleeping in until noon. While that sounds great for about 20 minutes, the novelty slips away faster than a toga in a hot tub.
For example, consider the delicate issue of choosing between long-term health and, say, eating an entire pizza by yourself at 2 a.m. (We’ve all been there). Hedonism doesn’t offer much help when you have to make those tricky decisions that require balancing selfish desires with “rational consumption”. Hedonism says, “Do it, order the pizza.”
Atheism, on the other hand, typically follows humanist principles — a reasonable alternative to the “pleasure at all costs” mindset. It is less about instant gratification and more about long-term intellectual and emotional growth.
Atheists tend to be introspective critical thinkers, and some have really big minds and bigger bookshelves. Dennett was a college philosophy professor. But I am proof you don’t need to be a genius to see the fallacies of religion. And I would probably order the pizza.
3. How Atheists Do Morality Without the Guilt Trip
You know those critics who love asking, “Without God, what’s stopping you from going on a rampage of destruction and mayhem?” — as though the only thing keeping them from committing atrocities is the fear of getting caught by God?
Yeah, it’s a bit of an odd question when you think about it. For atheists, the answer is simple: empathy. You don’t need a higher power to figure out that hurting people is bad.
Neuroscientists have even studied this: moral decision-making lights up the brain’s empathy and social bonding regions, not the “let’s pray for forgiveness” area. Atheists may not follow religious commandments, but their moral decisions are usually based on the idea that kindness makes the world go round.
4. Who’s Watching? Just Your Conscience (and Maybe Your Mom)
Unlike religious moral systems that rely on the idea that God’s always peeking over your shoulder like a celestial security camera, atheists are in charge of their own accountability. That means they act ethically because they choose to, not because they’re worried about a divine judgment day.
Accountability for atheists comes from personal responsibility. They recognize that their actions affect others, and as a result, society’s rules and norms still hold weight.
However, most atheists also recognize that none of us are perfect, and empathy includes recognizing our shared fallibility. Religion does not have a monopoly on grace and forgiveness.
Meanwhile, hedonism is just a moral free-for-all, where you can justify whatever you want if it doesn’t hurt you immediately — though there are often long-term consequences.
Navigating Morality Without Religion
Throughout history humans have had a shared sense of empathy, fairness and justice, and most people recognize the pitfalls of hedonism.
Atheists are perfectly capable of navigating morality without relying on religion, guided instead by:
Empathy
Reason
Responsibility
Community
So the next time someone tries to paint atheism as just a big ol’ clothing optional pleasure cruise, explain to them that atheism does not have an all-you-can-eat buffet line. Atheism is not a permission slip to just do whatever feels good.
If atheism is anything at all, it’s the world’s least fun book club.
Now, if you are an atheist and a hedonist, well, good for you! And what’s on your bookshelf?
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Here is another post about atheism that you might like, Rock It Science.
The preface to my book ‘Losing Religion’
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