Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer who founded utilitarianism—the ethical theory that the rightness of actions is determined by their consequences in promoting overall happiness or utility. Born in London, Bentham trained in law but devoted his life to philosophical analysis and radical social criticism, publishing Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789), which systematically applied utilitarian calculus to ethics and jurisprudence. His famous maxim that 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number' should guide morality and legislation provided an empirical, secular alternative to natural law and divine command ethics. Bentham's advocacy for democratic representation, penal reform, women's rights, and animal welfare; his critique of 'natural rights' as rhetorical nonsense; and his instrumental approach to institutions made him a catalyst for nineteenth-century reform movements and utilitarian philosophy.
