S1- Unit 1 Moodle: How is the value of a pleasure determined?

According to Jeremy Bentham, the value of a pleasure is determined by its intensity, its duration, the certainty or uncertainty of it happening, and the closeness or remoteness of it to you. The chance of a similar or opposite feeling following can also be considered when determining the value, but this is just part of the circumstance rather than the feeling itself. All of these apply to individual and group experiences, but one more element must be added when talking about the pleasure of a group, and that is the number of people who are affected by it. Having all of these categories allows for pleasure to be determined on a person-by-person basis for themselves. But, pleasures of the same kind can not be compared from person to person using this system as people feel the intensity of them in wildly different ways, not allowing for a purely statistical look at pleasure.

Works Cited

Benthem, Jeremy. An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Batoche Books, 2000.