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15
It may perhaps assist the understanding & recollection of the
subject if the Penitological principles be arrayed under a
few heads, taking the shape of axioms.
Happiness may be defined to be the possession of pleasures
with the absence of pains, — or the possession of a preponderant
amount of pleasure over pains.
Good & evil when resolved into their elements are composed
of pleasures & pains.
These pleasures & pains may be either negative
or positive — growing out of the absence of the one, — or the presence
of the presence of the other.
The possession of a pleasure, — or the absence of a menaced pain, is good.
The presence of a pain — or the absence of a
promised pleasure, is evil.
A positive good is the possession — or the expectation
of a pleasure — A negative good is the exemption — or the cause
of exemption from a pain.
Sensations are of two sorts —those accompanied
by pleasure or by pain — of those which are unaccompanied
by either. It is only that on those which produce pain &
pleasure that motives or sanctions can be brought to operate.
The value of a pleasure separately considered
depends on its intensity — duration & extent. On these qualities
its importance to society depends — or in other words, its
power of adding to the sum of individual & or general happiness.
The magnitude of a pleasure depends on its
intensity & duration.
The extent of a pleasure depends on the number of
who enjoy it.
And the same laws apply to pains
Identifier: | JB/015/340/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
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sir john bowring |
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