So I just now saw this response (you totally typed in on your page lol).
I think it's less about ethics and more about humans being bound to seek pleasure; something that allows prediction of behavior. Hedonism knows no bounds between human and object, but I assume bonds between people have more potential. Potential to do what, I'm not sure because there's too many directions that action can take.
Built in pleasure seeking (genetic/epigenetic) would make sense re: childhood as well as other species. Just look at the development of the HPA axis in PTSD. Fear literally changes the brain's structure. Might pleasure do the same?
I wouldn't consider pleasure seeking to be extension of higher thought, but a base instinct. Love of material items is higher thinking in that it often serves as barter for sex, but if the "greater potential" assumption is correct, then human-human love might be a more advanced manifestation of that instinct.
I think it's less about ethics and more about humans being bound to seek pleasure; something that allows prediction of behavior. Hedonism knows no bounds between human and object, but I assume bonds between people have more potential. Potential to do what, I'm not sure because there's too many directions that action can take.
Built in pleasure seeking (genetic/epigenetic) would make sense re: childhood as well as other species. Just look at the development of the HPA axis in PTSD. Fear literally changes the brain's structure. Might pleasure do the same?
I wouldn't consider pleasure seeking to be extension of higher thought, but a base instinct. Love of material items is higher thinking in that it often serves as barter for sex, but if the "greater potential" assumption is correct, then human-human love might be a more advanced manifestation of that instinct.