This study guide explains why Socrates denies the existence of hedonism (life purely for pleasure) exists. Hedonism is a way of looking at life and philosophy that is based on the hypothesis that people seek pleasure in their lives and that the main basis of living is pleasure. Those things that bring pleasure are good and things that bring pain or discomfort are bad. This standard has been applied to everything from life styles to good and evil with those things that pleasurable being moral and acceptable and those things that bring pain being evil. However, Socrates, in his arguments is able to fairly effectively deny that hedonism exists and show that human beings are really not going to live for either or pleasure or pain, but a balance of both because both elements are really one of the same. A good guide for a basic understanding of this complex dialogue.
