hedonic calculus
E91450
consequentialist evaluation method
ethical theory concept
moral decision-making tool
utilitarian method
Hedonic calculus is a utilitarian method for quantifying and comparing the pleasure and pain produced by actions to guide moral decision-making.
Aliases (1)
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
consequentialist evaluation method
→
ethical theory concept → moral decision-making tool → utilitarian method → |
| aimsAt |
impartial aggregation of individual utilities
→
maximization of overall happiness → |
| associatedWithPhilosopher |
Jeremy Bentham
→
John Stuart Mill NERFINISHED → |
| assumes |
pain is intrinsically bad
→
pleasure is intrinsically good → |
| basedOn |
classical utilitarianism
→
hedonism → |
| coreIdea |
morally right actions maximize net pleasure over pain
→
|
| criticizedFor |
being impractical for real-time decisions
→
difficulty of quantifying pleasures and pains → ignoring qualitative differences between pleasures → potentially justifying morally counterintuitive actions → |
| developedBy |
Jeremy Bentham
→
|
| evaluates |
certainty of pleasure or pain
→
duration of pleasure or pain → extent of pleasure or pain → fecundity of pleasure or pain → intensity of pleasure or pain → propinquity of pleasure or pain → purity of pleasure or pain → |
| field |
ethics
→
moral philosophy → utilitarianism → |
| hasAlternativeName |
felicific calculus
→
|
| hasComponent |
certainty
→
duration → extent → fecundity → intensity → propinquity → purity → |
| hasPurpose |
to compare outcomes of actions
→
to evaluate consequences of actions → to guide moral decision-making → to quantify pleasure and pain → |
| influenced |
later utilitarian cost–benefit analysis
→
|
| originatesFrom |
An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
→
|
| relatedConcept |
cost–benefit analysis
→
pleasure–pain principle → principle of utility → utility → |
| timePeriod |
18th century
→
|
| usedIn |
act utilitarianism
→
consequentialist reasoning → |
Referenced by (3)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
hedonic calculus
("felicific calculus")
→
|
hasAlternativeName |
|
Jeremy Bentham
("felicific calculus")
→
|
hasPhilosophicalConcept |
|
Jeremy Bentham
→
|
knownFor |