act utilitarianism

Jeremy Bentham's quantitative approach to utilitarianism.

utilitarianism

theory based on 'utility' and 'maximising utility'

consequentialist theory

what makes an action good is not the type of action that it is but the consequences it leads to.

act utilitarianism

people should act to maximise pleasure and minimise pain in specific instances.

felicific/hedonic calculus

determines the amount of pleasure and pain caused by an action.

felicific/hedonic calculus - factors

1. the intensity of the pleasure or pain

2. the duration of the pleasure or pain

3. the certainty of the pleasure or pain

4. the fecundity of the pleasure or pain

5. the propinquity of the pleasure or pain

6. the purity of the pleasure or pain

7. the extent of the pleasure or pain

felicific calculus - use

a person would assign 1-7 pleasure points and pain points to an action to calculate their total utility and then select the action that brings the most pleasure over pain.