This needs to be set against the pleasure or pain of the mother, not just in childbirth, but in her psychological state should the child be unwanted. For example, a hedonistic act utilitarian might see the future pleasure of a handicapped child affected by the disability – so the rational decision might be to abort this foetus and replace it with a potentially happier one. The issue of abortion hinges on the likely future pleasure of the potential child, versus the pleasure or pain to the mother and any other individuals affected by the abortion decision. In this calculation everyone is to count as one and no-one as more than one – we all have the same stake in the utility calculus. Note: the acronym PRRICED can be used to remember the seven criteria of Benham’s hedonic calculus (Purity, Remoteness, Reliability, Intensity, Certainty, Extent, Duration)Ĭlick here for a detailed explanation of Bentham’s philosophy.īentham’s hedonistic act utilitarianism seeks to maximise the balance of pleasure over pain measured by the hedonic calculus, which uses seven criteria (acronym PRRICED) to gauge the pleasure derived from different actions. Hedonistic utilitarianism – calculating consequences by measurable pleasure
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