Pain is a terrible thing. Ask me, I suffer from occasional bouts of sciatica. Now, no one I know suffers from this disease. So no one close to me "knows" my pain. The pain is in my mind, and only I can feel it. And it is a terrible thing. Which is why the philosophy of avoiding pain and pursuing pleasure should not be dismissed as "hedonism". It is a Law of Reality.
Now, just as pain is a subjective affect – only I can feel my pain – so is pleasure. Last evening, after a long time, I smoked a deadly spliff and got "stoned immaculate". I was so happy. It was such a great pleasure. And I feel sad that almost no one I know "knows" this pleasure. I am happy that Michael Phelps knows what "stoned" feels like. The poor chap has lost some advertising contracts. So, I sing the Peter Tosh song, "Legalize it, I'll Advertise It."
Don't miss the point: Such a great pleasure is a criminal offence under "democratic legislation" in almost the entire world. It becomes obvious that pleasure is a subjective affect: all the legislators of the world do not "know" a pleasure called "stoned."
So how can we be Free?
The only way in which all human beings can pursue pleasure and avoid pain is under a Rule of Law that gives them the Liberty to "pursue Happiness" their own way. Since each of us finds pleasure in different things, it is only under conditions of Liberty Under Law that each and every Individual will be able to enjoy his life to the fullest.
We have therefore arrived at a solution to the "avoid pain and pursue pleasure" riddle: this must be left to the abilities and faculties of every private Individual.
What then is The State?
The State is the monopolist over the use of legitimate force. And there is something force cannot accomplish – and that is, force can never produce pleasure. The only use of force is to inflict pain. The State is thus an agency meant solely for inflicting pain upon outlaws. It has no "positive" purpose. We are a society living in pain, barred from pursuing pleasure, only because we wrongly estimated what The State can accomplish. We still believe it can and should teach. Aah! If only knowledge could result from the use of force.
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