Monday, April 23, 2007

Axioms of pleasure


“By utility is meant that property in any object, whereby it tends to produce benefit, advantage, pleasure, good, or happiness, (all this in the present case comes to the same thing) or (what comes again to the same thing) to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil, or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered: if that party be the community in general, then the happiness of the community: if a particular individual, the happiness of that individual.”, Bentham, J. An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, 1789.