Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) was a British philosopher, jurist, and social reformer, whose ideas laid the foundation for a systematic approach to ethics and political theory. He is widely regarded as the principal theorist of utilitarianism, a consequentialist ethical framework.

At the core of Bentham’s philosophy is the "greatest happiness principle," which states that the morally right action is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number. This principle posits that actions are to be judged solely on their consequences, specifically the amount of pleasure or pain they generate.

To quantify these consequences, Bentham proposed the "hedonic calculus," a method for measuring the value of pleasures and pains. This calculus considers factors such as intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity, and extent when evaluating the moral impact of an action.

Bentham was not merely an abstract philosopher; he was a passionate advocate for practical legal and social reform. He believed that laws and public policies should be rationally designed to achieve the greatest happiness for society, leading him to campaign for prison reform, poor laws, and democratic representation.

A notable application of his reformist principles was the Panopticon, an architectural design for institutions like prisons or schools. This design aimed to maximize surveillance efficiency, reflecting his belief in rational control as a means to achieve social utility and order.

His work profoundly influenced subsequent generations of thinkers, most notably his godson, John Stuart Mill, who further developed utilitarianism. While Mill introduced qualitative distinctions between pleasures, Bentham's foundational framework remained essential to the theory.

Despite its enduring influence, Bentham's utilitarianism faced criticism, particularly regarding its purely quantitative approach to pleasure and its potential to disregard individual rights for the sake of the collective good. Critics also questioned the practical feasibility of the hedonic calculus in complex moral situations.

Emerging during the Enlightenment, Bentham's philosophy reflected a broader desire for rational, empirical approaches to social problems. He sought to replace traditional, often arbitrary, legal and moral systems with a scientific method for governance and ethical decision-making.

Ahead of his time, Bentham also extended his utilitarian considerations to animals, arguing that their capacity to suffer should be a moral concern. He famously stated that the question for animals is not whether they can reason or talk, but whether they can suffer.