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.

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All labels observed (2)

Label	Occurrences
felicific calculus	2
hedonic calculus canonical	1

How this entity was disambiguated

This entity first appeared as the object of triple T765714 — resolving that mention is where its identity was fixed. The disambiguator weighed these candidate entities and picked the highlighted one (or “None”, minting a new entity). This is how homonymy is resolved: the same surface form can point to different entities.

NED1 Entity disambiguation (via context triple) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: hedonic calculus
Context triple: [Jeremy Bentham, knownFor, hedonic calculus]

A. preference utilitarianism
Preference utilitarianism is a form of utilitarian ethics that evaluates actions by how well they satisfy the informed preferences or interests of those affected, rather than by the amount of pleasure or happiness produced.
B. Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a foundational work of moral philosophy that systematically defends the view that actions are right insofar as they promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
C. consequentialism
Consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges the rightness or wrongness of actions solely by their outcomes or consequences.
D. act utilitarianism
Act utilitarianism is a moral theory that judges the rightness of each individual action solely by how much overall happiness or utility it produces compared to alternative actions.
E. The Elements of Morality
The Elements of Morality is a 19th-century philosophical treatise by William Whewell that systematically explores ethical theory, moral duties, and the foundations of human conduct.
F. None of above. chosen
G. Unsure - the case is ambiguous/there is not enough information to decide.

NED2 Entity disambiguation (via description) gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07

Target entity: hedonic calculus
Target entity description: Hedonic calculus is a utilitarian method for quantifying and comparing the pleasure and pain produced by actions to guide moral decision-making.

A. preference utilitarianism
Preference utilitarianism is a form of utilitarian ethics that evaluates actions by how well they satisfy the informed preferences or interests of those affected, rather than by the amount of pleasure or happiness produced.
B. Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is a foundational work of moral philosophy that systematically defends the view that actions are right insofar as they promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
C. consequentialism
Consequentialism is an ethical theory that judges the rightness or wrongness of actions solely by their outcomes or consequences.
D. act utilitarianism
Act utilitarianism is a moral theory that judges the rightness of each individual action solely by how much overall happiness or utility it produces compared to alternative actions.
E. The Elements of Morality
The Elements of Morality is a 19th-century philosophical treatise by William Whewell that systematically explores ethical theory, moral duties, and the foundations of human conduct.
F. None of above. chosen

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 ⓘ
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	hedonic calculus ⓘ surface form: 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 principle ⓘ surface form: pleasure–pain principle principle of utility ⓘ utility ⓘ
timePeriod	18th century ⓘ
usedIn	act utilitarianism ⓘ consequentialist reasoning ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Jeremy Bentham → knownFor → hedonic calculus ⓘ

Jeremy Bentham → hasPhilosophicalConcept → hedonic calculus ⓘ

this entity surface form: felicific calculus

hedonic calculus → hasAlternativeName → hedonic calculus ⓘ