Varieties of Hedonism in Feldman's Pleasure and the Good Life

Tbere is mucb to admire in Fred Feldman's Pleasure and the Good Life,^ and mucb witb wbicb to agree. It is a wondei-ful exploration of varieties of bedonism, and a demonstration of tbe plasticity of tbe very concept of bedonism. Feldman succeeds ably in arguing tbat most, if not all, of tbe traditional arguments against bedonism can be met by different versions of tbe tbeory, all of tbem versions of wbat be calls 'attitudinal bedonism'. We don't get a fully worked-out presentation of tbe One True Version, but we do get plenty of bints about tbe version be prefers. In tbis essay I will raise some questions, and some misgivings I bave about different versions of bedonism. Wbetber tbese misgivings rise to tbe level of disagreement witb Feldman will depend largely on tbe extent to wbicb be is prepared to endorse, as opposed merely to explore, tbe bedonism in question.