NPG D1056
“The greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislation.”
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham is fundamentally one of the most influential philosophers in early modern philosophy. His work builds the foundations for Utilitarianism, one of the most important normative ethics theories that still continues to influence modern public policy and legal theory. His work on political philosophy defined one of the first systematic frameworks to evaluate policies. While philosophers like Kant focused on duty, and virtue ethicists focused on character, Bentham fundamentally shifted the conversation toward consequences (consequentialism), this political radicalism led him to advocate for positions far ahead of his time.
Bentham’s legacy is his theory on the “Greatest Happiness Principle.” His work shifted ethics from subjective feelings to a calculation. He asserts that there are only two intrinsic values, pain and pleasure, for which all actions can be weighed. His felicific calculus provides an intuitive method to measure the ethicality of a decision and determine its impact on the aggregate happiness of the community. By insisting that every individual’s pleasure counts equally in this calculation, Bentham provides a democratic tool for justice to focus on maximizing the well-being of the greatest number.
All in all, the influence of utilitarianism and the importance of it cannot be overstated. As one of the only philosophy theories that is taught in every philosophy introductory course, Bentham deserves a spot on the syllabus.