Podrobný výpis o publikaci

Hedonism is a value orientation in life which is often incorrectly and stereotypically equated with modern consumerism, individualistic and narcissistic behaviour patterns, and a relaxed attitude to life. The tradition of Protestant ethics reinforces the belief that hedonistic life activities are in direct contradiction to the values of work and performance. In affluent consumer societies, the original, religiously rooted relationship between work and simultaneous rigid rejection of the hedonistic world full of experiences and entertainment is transformed due to the influence of experiential economy and emergence of late modernist lifestyles. Work becomes an integral part of the value world of hedonism. Exemplified by three various types of non-ascetic lifestyles - predatory hedonism, bourgeois-bohemianism and alternative hedonism - the objective of this study is to support the hypothesis that traditional elements of Protestant ethics, namely relation to work, performance and success, are reflected in various reconstructed forms in late modernity manifestations of hedonistic-oriented lifestyles. In case of predator hedonism, the relationship to work and performance is primarily determined by the incentives of reaching material benefits as a prerequisite of sensual enjoyment of pleasures of life, impulsive spending and achieving consumer goals. Bourgeois bohemians also model the relationship to work and performance as a central life value, however, they don’t see it as an instrument of attaining wealth, prestige, fame and fulfilling consumer goals, but they see it as a source of meaningful creative activity and self-fulfilment. Finally, in case of alternative hedonists, the relationship to work and performance is moderated by voluntarily living a modest life, reducing workload and stress, and rationalizing life with elements of a creative approach to life, aesthetics and spirituality.