Hedomat

As Hedomat (an abbreviation for Hedonistic materialism ) is called a materialist view that since the late 1980s , especially in year Europe will appear. Hedonistic materialism sees its main goal in achieving a high standard of living , which is the basis for further social success.

term

The term, which is made up of hedonism (the philosophy of individual enjoyment ) and materialism (the notion that nothing exists except matter) is less of a philosophy or program of a social group . The word is mainly used by conservative social critics as a charge against people who follow the yuppie generation. It is no coincidence that the catchphrase, which shows ironic echoes of Marxist terms such as Histomat and Diamat , came about with the decline of communism . However, this is not a continuation of Marxist thought, since it recognizes capitalist society and globalization as correct forecasts , but no longer attaches the value of a stage to be overcome to them, but rather stability and desirable features.

criticism

Popular criticism reproaches hedonistic materialists with consciously staying out of political discourse in order to indirectly promote disaffection with politics and not wanting to integrate into traditional associations such as family and marriage ; she attributes this to a lack of idealism and objects to the change in moral values that threatens from it. She cites the youth of the 1990s as an example .

The negative evaluation of hedonism as morally inconsistent behavior neglects the fact that hedonistic traits are to be found primarily in phases of social transitions and that even there, in ancient Greek materialism and in French materialism of the 18th century , they do not disclose ethical values, but change them by developing their own awareness of norms . This is less a loss of values than a change in values , as numerous studies (for example the Shell Youth Studies ) repeatedly affirm the ethical awareness of young people and trace their turn to new forms of social integration ( friendship , community , etc.).

The critics of the Hedomat overlook the fact that they do not want to question the consumer society itself, but only criticize the Hedomat as a possible reaction. They fail to recognize that the playful coping with life, which subordinates everything else to economic success, is only one possible (and probably too strong) expression of the qualities that they themselves demand as flexibility and willingness to perform in times of unemployment and social tensions. At best, socially understood egoism can criticize the hedomat as a harmful influence on society, but not more economically. The view that self-interest is the basis of a positively developing economy is only disputed by left and right ideologies .

literature

• Helmut Klages: Breaking tradition as a challenge. Perspectives of the changing values ​​society . Campus, Frankfurt / New York 1993
• Franz Walter: Civil society - a sweet utopia. About the big stories and the too high expectations . In: Frankfurter Rundschau , July 14, 2001