Pleasure

I wanted to continue the discussion about hedonism.  I feel like hedonism has a negative connotation because institutions i.e. religious institutionas wanted to use it to control.  What I mean by that is the natural human seeks pleasure, which is considered negative and therefore have to confess or atone for your sins.  Institiutions take advantage and use the idea of seeking pleasure as a way of controlling the actions of the patrons. 

Also I wanted to ask a question if America changed the drinking age to 18 would society regard it differently?  Would people make it not seem like such a big deal?