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Pleasures and Pains their kinds how measured.
either neglected, or supposed to be already settled.
of two pleasures that is actually greater than the
other which is more intense for the time that they
both last. We may accordingly proceed to lay down
the following axioms
1. Of two pleasures, equal in duration, the magnitude
is as the duration.
2. Of two pleasures, equal in duration, the magnitude
is as the intensity.
3. The magnitude of any given pleasure is as the it's
intensity number multiplied by its duration.
Next with regard to the circumstances of proximity
and certainty.
A pleasure, like any thing else, must be either
past present, past or future. If past, there is it's value is at an end of it.
[as such there can be no further occasion to consider it.]
Present it may one single pleasure can be only for a very short space of time,
l am without the interruption of indifference, of pains, or
of other pleasures.+ +how long soever any thing that of pleasures may continue that is a fund of pleasures
Future it may be for an indefinite
length of time; accordingly there is much more occasion
to consider pleasures as future than as present.
When once a pleasure is present, no speculations concerning
either its remoteness or its uncertainty can
have place. It can be in no degree either remote
or uncertain. So long as it is yet to come, it must be
be in some degree remote, and it may be in a greater or less
[a] To speak more accurately, as the number expressive of
it's intensity multiplied by the number expressive of it's duration.
Pleasures and Pains - how measured.
less degree, uncertain. Presence therefore is [at once] the limit at
once of remoteness and uncertainty.
The value of a pleasure is the less, the more remote
it is. This d It's remoteness [may be measured with
the utmost nicety. It] is measured by the number of moments
or other greater parts of time that are to elapse
between the time with reference to which the pleasure
is considered as being remote, and the time at which it
is to be enjoy'd. The value of a pleasure consider'd
as present being represented by unity, the value of it
consider'd as remote will must be represented by a fraction.
When a pleasure is remote, the value of it
will again be less, the less certain it is:+ or to speak at full length, the less certain the event is of it's happening. When such an event is not absolutely certain, the degree of it's certainty, like that of the certainty of any other event is It's The degree When it
is not absolutely certain the degree of its certainty
of it's may be measur'd by the ratio of the number of
the chances there are is for it's happening, to that of the
number of chances there are is for it's not happening.
Concerning the magnitude of the value of a
pleasure we may therefore proceed to lay down the
following axioms
Of two pleasures equal in magnitude and neither
not both of them present, the value is as the proximity.
Of two pleasures equal in magnitude and proximity,
and not both of them certain, the value is
as the degree of certainty.
The value of any given pleasure is to that of
any other pleasure as the intensity, duration, proximity
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pleasures and pains - how measured |
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jeremy bentham |
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