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Single Idea 5934

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / b. Types of pleasure ]

Full Idea

Most of Bentham's 'dimensions' of pleasure refer to further pleasures, or are irrelevant to the pleasure; we are left with intensity and duration as the characteristics on which depend the value of a pleasure qua pleasure, and there is nothing to add.

Clarification

'Qua' means 'purely as'

Gist of Idea

Of Bentham's 'dimensions' of pleasure, only intensity and duration matter

Source

comment on Jeremy Bentham (Intro to Principles of Morals and Legislation [1789]) by W. David Ross - The Right and the Good §VI

Book Ref

Ross,W.David: 'The Right and the Good' [OUP 1930], p.144


A Reaction

I agree. When Bentham produces his list he seems to be trying to add a bogus enrichment to what is really a rather crude and basic notion of the aim of life. Your simple hedonist appears to only desire high intensity and long duration.


The 12 ideas from Jeremy Bentham

Natural rights are nonsense, and unspecified natural rights is nonsense on stilts [Bentham]
Only laws can produce real rights; rights from 'law of nature' are imaginary [Bentham]
Prejudice apart, push-pin has equal value with music and poetry [Bentham]
Is 'productive of happiness' the definition of 'right', or the cause of it? [Ross on Bentham]
Of Bentham's 'dimensions' of pleasure, only intensity and duration matter [Ross on Bentham]
Bentham thinks happiness is feeling good, but why use morality to achieve that? [Annas on Bentham]
Pleasure and pain control all human desires and duties [Bentham]
The community's interest is a sum of individual interests [Bentham]
Unnatural, when it means anything, means infrequent [Bentham]
We must judge a thing morally to know if it conforms to God's will [Bentham]
The value of pleasures and pains is their force [Bentham]
Large mature animals are more rational than babies. But all that really matters is - can they suffer? [Bentham]