Sustainable Development in the Shadow of Hedonism

Abstract

Hedonism, or the pursuit of pleasure, significantly influences today’s consumer habits. This phenomenon poses a barrier to transitioning to a sustainable lifestyle, which is increasingly important due to global challenges. Prioritizing pleasurable values hinders the development of environmentally conscious thinking and behaviour, which are crucial for moving towards a more sustainable future. The task of addressing these challenges will fall on the young generation, making the role of their educators increasingly important. Educators must act now to orient students towards sustainable development. The study presents the problems of hedonism and excessive consumption and examines how these phenomena affect biodiversity and their relationship with sustainability. In this context, I explored both the obstacles and opportunities in the field of pedagogy. Results of an empirical study that investigates the sustainable attitudes of Hungarian teachers are presented and the integration of sustainability into the education system are evaluated. The research concludes that it is not necessarily required to completely contradict hedonism. There exists a golden mean that, through a renewal of mindset, can help guide people towards sustainable behaviour. The attitude research results show that most teachers are ready and open to this change, but further developments in the training system and the structure of education are needed.