Jeremy Bentham

1748–1832

Nationality: English

Historical Period: The 19th Century

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) trained as a lawyer and founded the early 19th century school of political thought known as “Benthamism” later called utilitarianism - based on the idea that governments should act so as to promote “the greatest good of the greatest number” of people. He spent much of his life attempting to drawn up an ideal Constitutional Code, but he was also active in parliamentary reform, education, and prison reform. He influenced the thinking of James Mill and his son John Stuart Mill. [The image comes from “The Warren J. Samuels Portrait Collection at Duke University.”]

Bentham featured as the February 2021 OLL Birthday. Read it here

Quotes from Jeremy Bentham:

• Jeremy Bentham on benefits of the ruling elite
• Jeremy Bentham on rights as a creation of the state
• Jeremy Bentham on how the interests of the many are sacrificed for the few
• Jeremy Bentham on the Utility Principle
• Jeremy Bentham on the liberty of contracts and lending money at interest
• Jeremy Bentham on how “the ins” and “the outs” lie to the people in order to get into power
• Jeremy Bentham on the proper role of government: “Be Quiet” and “Stand out of my sunshine”
• Jeremy Bentham relates a number of “abominations” to the French National Convention urging them to emancipate their colonies

Titles from Jeremy Bentham:

• Author: BOLL 21: Jeremy Bentham, “The Greatest Happiness of the Greatest Number” (1830)
• Author: British Moralists vol. 1
• Author: Defence of Usury
• Author: An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
• Author: A Protest against Law-Taxes
• Author: Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 1
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 2
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 3
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 4
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 5 (Scotch Reform, Real Property, Codification Petitions)
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 6
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 7 (Rationale of Judicial Evidence Part 2)
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 8
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 9 (Constitutional Code)
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 10 (Memoirs Part I and Correspondence)
• Author: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 11 (Memoirs of Bentham Part II and Analytical Index)