Scribd
Upload
1K views1 page

Bentham Hedonic Calculus

The document describes Bentham's Hedonic Calculus, which provides a framework for assessing pleasures based on 7 principles - intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent. Students are asked to use this calculus to rank and compare 10 different pleasures by scoring each principle on a scale of 1 to 5, totaling the scores, multiplying by the number of people affected, and determining the overall moral worth. They will then reflect on the results and Bentham's calculus.

Uploaded by

Arnould Malayao
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
1K views1 page

Bentham Hedonic Calculus

The document describes Bentham's Hedonic Calculus, which provides a framework for assessing pleasures based on 7 principles - intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent. Students are asked to use this calculus to rank and compare 10 different pleasures by scoring each principle on a scale of 1 to 5, totaling the scores, multiplying by the number of people affected, and determining the overall moral worth. They will then reflect on the results and Bentham's calculus.

Uploaded by

Arnould Malayao
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Utilitarianism Activity

Bentham’s Hedonic Calculus

Bentham thinks that all pleasures can be rated by seven main principles. These are: Intensity (How
intense will the pleasure be?); Duration (How long will the pleasure last?); Certainty (How likely is the
pleasure to happen?); Propinquity (How immediate or remote is the pleasure?); Fecundity (How likely is it
to be followed by similar pleasures or how rarely is it experienced?); Purity (how likely is it to be followed
by pain?); and Extent (How many people will experience the pleasure?)

In pairs or small groups perform the hedonic calculus on the following pleasures to assess which ones are
the best.

 For the first six principles give each pleasure a score out of 5 where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the
highest. Total these scores.
 Then multiply the overall score by the number of people you think will be affected.
 When you have finished, use the scores to rank the pleasures in order of moral worth.
 Then reflect on these results and write down any conclusions you have about Bentham’s
calculus.

Be prepared to share your answers with the rest of the class.


Intensity

Certainty

Purity

Subtotal

Extent

Total
Duration

Propinquity

Fecundity

Pleasure

1. Going to the cinema with


your two friends
2. Painting a picture

3. Watching TV with your


brother
4. Eating a cream cake

5. Stroking a cat

6. Passing a Higher exam

7. Going to the opera with


your parents
8. Listening to your favourite
CD alone
9. Mowing your neighbour’s
lawn
10. Kissing your boyfriend or
girlfriend.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy