... "pleasure and the absence of pain", and the antonym was defined as "pain and the privation of pleasure". Jean Austin has pointed out that in his essay, Mill appears to sometimes use "pleasure" interchangeably with happiness. If this were Mill's intention, then Mill is using it erroneously. "Pleasure" is a temporary experience, whilst happiness relates to an overall assessment of one's feelings over an extended period. I may have been depressed all week, but I got momentary pleasure when I attended a concert. Thus a better reading of Mill's definition, which he does in fact give, would be to see happiness as the net balance of pleasures contrasted to pains. This goes some way to being more satisfactory: if I had an enjoyable week I could say that I had lot of pleasurable experiences, and if there were only a few minor disappointments it could indeed be said to be ...

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