34.3k views
3 votes
For the philosopher Bentham, pleasure is measurable through complex weighing of seven factors including ________.

User Kannappan
by
7.9k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

Jeremy Bentham believed that pleasure, central to utilitarianism, is measurable through seven factors, with Mill later adding qualitative distinctions between higher and lower pleasures.

Step-by-step explanation:

For the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, pleasure is measurable through a complex weighing of seven factors which include the intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent of pleasure or pain. Bentham, known for his contributions to the ethical theory of utilitarianism, argued that moral actions are those that produce the greatest amount of pleasure for the greatest number of people. Therefore, these factors help in determining the overall utility of an action by measuring potential happiness against any associated suffering.

In addition, the distinction between higher and lower pleasures elaborated by John Stuart Mill, a follower of Bentham, adds a qualitative dimension to Bentham's original formulation, positing that intellectual and emotional pleasures carry greater weight than mere sensory pleasures.

User Pesch
by
7.7k points