Saint Mary’s University
SCHOOL OF HEALTH and NATURAL SCIENCES
Nursing Department
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
LULUQUISEN, JOHN PAUL L.
BSN 2-A
Duration
Certainty
Propinquity
Fecundity
Purity
Total
RANK
1. Joining an organization in a tree planting
activity
2. Painting a picture
5
4
5
4
4
5
27
2
3
2
3
2
2
3
15
10
3. Watching TV with your brother/sister
4
3
3
3
4
4
21
7
4. Eating a cream cake
3
1
3
5
3
4
19
8
5. Putting up a community pantry
5
4
5
5
4
5
28
1
6. Passing the Final Exam
5
2
5
5
3
5
25
4
7. Getting a negative RTPCR result
5
3
5
5
3
5
26
3
8. Listening to your favourite music collection
alone
9. Mowing your neighbour’s lawn
5
3
4
5
4
3
24
6
3
2
2
4
2
3
16
9
10. Kissing your girlfriend.
5
3
4
5
3
4
24
6
Pleasure
Extent
Intensity
ACTIVITY:
The table above shows my perception of the intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity,
fecundity, and purity of the pleasures or happiness that can result from doing the listed
pleasurable acts. Moreover, the table shows the ranking of the moral worth of each pleasurable
act. The ranking was based on the sum of the scores of each pleasurable act on the first six
principles. Evaluating each pleasure that I can experience from the various acts using the
hedonic calculus of Bentham made me realize what pleasurable acts will be more preferable to
me.
1st Floor, Constant Jurgens (UB) Building
Saint Mary’s University, Ponce St., Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, 3700 Philippines
Telephone: (078) 321-2221 ext. 122; Telefax: (078) 321-2117; Mobile No.: 0936-286-7269
Saint Mary’s University
SCHOOL OF HEALTH and NATURAL SCIENCES
Nursing Department
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
The first time I saw the list of pleasurable acts, I started to rank them based on my initial
judgments and not based on the principles of the hedonic calculus of Bentham. The acts of
passing the final exam and kissing my girlfriend were the pleasurable acts that came first and
second in my mind. However, when I started evaluating the pleasures which the acts may bring
in the light of the principles of the hedonic calculus, the acts that came to the top are those that
can bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people.
As presented in the table, the pleasurable act that came with the highest moral worth is
the act of putting up a community pantry. This act can certainly make me feel an intense and
pure feeling of happiness for a long period of time. I believe that there is nothing greater than
the feeling of fulfillment you get from helping other people. On the other hand, the one with the
lowest moral worth is the act of painting a picture. It can still make me feel happy and can still
be considered as a pleasure, however, when comparing it to the other acts, the happiness or
pleasure it brings is at a much lower level.
The pleasurable act of joining an organization in a tree planting activity followed the
pleasurable act with the highest moral worth. I felt the same about this act in terms of the longlasting fulfillment I can possibly experience from doing it. Next is the pleasure of getting a
negative RTPCR result, which at first seemed to be bringing good only to myself. However, the
pleasure from this act extends to other people as it brings them the assurance that I am a
person who is safe to deal with.
The pleasurable acts from the list which I think are only bringing happiness to myself are
the acts of eating a cream cake, listening to my favorite music collection alone, and kissing my
girlfriend. One factor that will greatly impact the ranking is the inclusion of the principle of extent
in the scoring scale. If I placed a score on the extent of each pleasurable act, the ranking would
probably vary. However, placing a score on the extent of each pleasurable act gives us the
guarantee of seeing the acts that bring pleasure to the greater number of people at the top of
the ranking.
The hedonic calculus of Bentham ultimately helps in determining what pleasurable act is
more significant for an individual. It is a tool that allows us to properly apply the principle of
utilitarianism, in which the moral thing to do is the pleasurable act that brings greater happiness
to the greatest number of people. However, the use of the hedonic calculus of Bentham will still
be contrary to the belief of Mill since for him, it is the quality of pleasure that should be
considered instead of the quantity.
Submitted to:
Mr. Felipe V. Nantes Jr., PhD
1st Floor, Constant Jurgens (UB) Building
Saint Mary’s University, Ponce St., Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, 3700 Philippines
Telephone: (078) 321-2221 ext. 122; Telefax: (078) 321-2117; Mobile No.: 0936-286-7269