ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Felicific calculus

Hey there kiddo! So, have you heard of the word "felicific calculus"? It sounds like a big word, but it's actually quite simple!

It's a system that helps people make decisions by looking at how much happiness or pleasure something will bring versus how much pain or unhappiness it will bring.

Let's say you really want a big bowl of ice cream. You know that it would make you really happy to eat it. But, if you eat too much, it might make you feel sick later. Felicific calculus helps you weigh the pleasure of eating the ice cream against the potential pain of feeling sick later.

The system tries to help people make the most rational decision that will lead to the most happiness (or the least amount of pain). So, next time you're faced with a decision, try using felicific calculus to help you make the best choice!