Christian responses to modern philosophies

¶ … human history have witnessed the emergence of a spirit of individualism. This spirit of individualism is a moral stance that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual. It promotes the right of the individual to pursue his or her own goals and desires independent on any external restraints such as those imposed by society, family, or institutions. As individualism has developed it has divided itself into a variety of more specialized approaches such as hedonism, egoism, and secular humanism. None of these specialized approaches has come to enjoy widespread acceptance but each has its own appeal and its own corresponding weaknesses.

The philosophy of hedonism is based upon the pursuit of pleasure and argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. Hedonists believe that individuals are motivated by things in life that provide them pleasure and this pursuit is a balancing of how much pleasure is involved in a particular activity vs. The pain that is involved. For the hedonist, the more pleasurable the experience, the more likely it is to be chosen as a course of action. Egoism is similar to hedonism but differs in that pleasure is not the motivating factor. In egoism, the standard is that individuals ought to do what is in their own self-interest. Distinguished from hedonism which believes that individuals always do what provides the most pleasure, egoism holds that individuals ought to behave in a manner that promotes their own self-interest. They do not necessarily believe that everyone acts in accordance with this standard in every situation. Egoism merely states that self-interest ought to be the motivating force. The emphasis in secular humanism is on human rights and the rights of the individual. It attaches significant importance to human dignity, concerns, and abilities. Rationality is at the base of secular humanism and has caused its proponents to view individuals as more self-reliant and less dependent on supernatural authorities.

Religion addresses concerns that are too often overlooked by proponents of individualism. Individualism is based upon the pursuit of happiness but happiness encompasses aspects that cannot be obtained through either the pleasure theory of hedonism, the self-interest approach of egoism, or the rational basis of secular humanism. Happiness is measured by intangibles such as the presence of hope and optimism that only religion and a belief in a supernatural being can address and provide. Religion provides the mechanism through which individuals are able to escape the realities of life that often result in deplorable and unpleasant conditions. Religion is able to provide an individual facing such conditions with a basis for looking forward and to look past their present condition. Instead of focusing on pleasure and pain and self-interest, religion allows the individual to look beyond himself toward something more important.