...Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) Born February 15, 1748, Jeremy Bentham, was an English philosopher, economist and theoretical jurist, the earliest and chief expounder of utilitarianism. (Plamentaz, 2013) He was the first to produce a utilitarian justification for democracy with much to say about prison reform, religion, poor relief, international law and animal welfare. As a visionary well before his time he also advocated universal suffrage and the decimalization of homosexuality. (Plamentaz, 2013) At the early age of three Jeremy Bentham was a child prodigy, reading multi volumes on the history of England. The first school he attended was Westminster and from there went on to Queen’s college where he received his degree in 1763. He then studied law at Lincoln’s Inn. At Lincoln’s Inn he spent more time conducting chemical experiments than reading law book. Instead of practicing the law he decided to write about it; and he spent his life criticizing the existing law and suggesting ways for improvement. (Who was Jeremy Bentham?, 1999-2014) Mr. Bentham’s first, A Fragment on Government, appeared in 1776. (Plamentaz, 2013). His most important theoretical work is the Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789), in which most of his moral theory—which he said reflected “the greatest happiness principle” is described and developed. (Sweet) He targeted legal fictions. It was obvious when looking at his main criticisms of the law that his method was analytical...
Words: 555 - Pages: 3
...Jeremy Bentham was born on February 15, 1748 in Houndsditch, England. He is the son of a lawyer from London. Jeremy was a lover of reading and by the time that he was ten years old he had learned some other languages including Latin, Greek and French. Due to his intelligence, Jeremy was able to attend some of the greatest schools like Westminster, Queen’s College, and Lincoln’s Inn. By the age of eighteen, Jeremy had received his degree of a Master of Arts and at nineteen he was able to take the bar exam in Oxford. Jeremy died in1832 and is remembered as a political theorist, jurist, and a philosopher. Jeremy is widely known for the abolition of slavery, an advocate of animal rights and the founder of utilitarianism (a philosophy advocating the greatest happiness of the greatest number). Jeremy Bentham was a social activist and firmly believed in equal right not only for slaves but all people and sexes, he fought for woman’s rights way before times we can even remember and fought to end the death penalty, while later on giving his example and ideology of the prison system. Jeremy did not care much for practicing law and often considered formal education a form of hypocrisy. This led him to focus on his true passion of morals and utilitarianism. In 1789’s Jeremy Introduced the Principles of Morals and Legislation in which utilitarianism was born. He added to his theory a means that will measure the actions that institutions and individuals make. Jeremy has spent a lot of time...
Words: 540 - Pages: 3
...This paper will examine the life of Jeremy Bentham and his accomplishments throughout his life. Special attention will be placed on his contribution to the study of ethics. Jeremy Bentham was born on The 15th of February, 1748 in Spitalfields, London, England At the early age of 3 years he started learning Latin and two years later he started playing the violin. Jeremy gained his BA in 1763 from the Queens College, Oxford University; three years in 1766 he attained his MA from the same institution. He was a theorist in Anglo- American philosophy of law, his opposition to the political powers of his day aided in his development and thinking, his ideas stimulated the growth of “welfarism”. He also pushed for the recognition of individualism and economic independence. He however did not stop there; his fight for equal rights continued and included the freedom of expression, women’s rights and the decriminalization of homosexuality. He also argued that the church and the state should be separated and also took a strong stance in the call for the abolition of slavery and the death penalty. He utilized many avenues to get his point across to the politicians. In 1777 his first book, Introduction to The Principles for Morals and Legislation was published ant it brought him instant fame. This book was written to support a proposal made by Jeremy on the penal code. It was supposed to be the instrument of change and was being pushed by Jeremy and his friends. It was however turned down...
Words: 701 - Pages: 3
...Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham was born in 1748 and he died in 1832. He was known for his stance on utilitarianism and morals. He lived a very interesting life. He went to school to be an attorney but he never actually practiced law. Jeremy also wrote a lot but failed to try and get much of his works published before he died. His life shows how eccentric in my opinion he was including after death. Jeremy Bentham was born in Houndsditch, London. He came from a line of attorneys, his father and grandfather were both attorneys. Jeremy was born during the time of many changes occurring in the world. This was during the Industrial Revolution, many changes socially were occurring at this time the middle class was emerging. He spent most of his time writing down ideas and working on projects. Bentham was influenced by the Enlightenment philosophies and Locke and Hume. Bentham combined these ideas and philosophies to try and get fiction out of the law entirely. He even believed that the idea of law at all was fiction. In the 1790’s his writings on moral theory were becoming recognized. One of his pieces that was published “The Theory of Legislation.” Another piece he did was “ Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation.” He was known for psychological hedonism, human behavior was explained by two motives pleasure and pain. Bentham believed that the individual is what was important not their interactions with others. He also talked about what brings the greatest amount...
Words: 597 - Pages: 3
...Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham was an English Utilitarian and leader of the Philosophical Radicals of England. The Philosophical Radicals were a group of like minded individuals that believed in political radicalism through Utilitarianism which stated that decisions should be made on behalf of who it would help the most. Instead of a rational approach to decisions or a idealistic approach. He was born Houndsditch, London England to a father who was a lawyer. He entered college at the ripe old age of twelve and graduated at an elderly fifteen. Bentham did not enjoy speaking in public much so he turned to writing I would imagine that since he was so young and gifted he would feel slighted when speaking in public to older crowds. He was raised as a Torie which were a conservative band of monarchists in the House of Commons in England, they believed in an established church, royal authority and wanted to preserve the traditional political structure. They also strongly opposed parliamentary reform. Bentham changed his conservitaive views after he read The First Principles of Government and the Nature of Political, Civil, and Religious Liberty a book by Joseph Priestly. David Hume also influenced Bentham, after reading Hume’s literature Bentham argued that the proper objective of all conduct and legislation is the greatest happiness of the greatest number. In other words the minority was not a priority in Bentham’s thought process. In 1798 Bentham wrote Principles of International...
Words: 640 - Pages: 3
...Name: Professor: Class: Business Ethics March 30, Jeremy Bentham Short Biography The famous philosopher and political annalist Jeremy Bentham was born into a family of attorneys, eventually following into their footsteps and studying law. While he never pursued his learned trade, he focused his interest onto analyzing and reconstructing English law. This passion allowed him to simplify the existing laws reducing them to a simple cause and effect theory. The utilitarian model was later used as a baseline to change and develop new measures by the judicial as well as the business sector. “Jeremy Bentham was born into a family of lawyers on February 15th 1784 in Houndsditch, London” (Jeremy Bentham Facts ). The wonder child entered Oxford College at the tender age of twelve, after which, he followed in his father’s footsteps “enrolling into Lincoln`s Inn graduating from law school in 1963” (Sweet). According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy web page, the era of his upbringing was paved by changes in the social fabric as well as moral structure of society. (Sweet) This experience empowered him to pursue a career as a writer, philosopher and analyst rather than pursuing a career as a lawyer. Jeremy Bentham spent most of his life critiquing as well as developing different theories to try to improve the law system of his time. He later explained his dislike for practicing his learned trade as a direct result of his education. “…mendacity and insincerity...
Words: 595 - Pages: 3
...Unit 2: Research Paper Jeremy Bentham Kaplan University Denise Manning AC504-01: Ethical Issues in Business and Accounting Professor Sandra Gates May 8, 2012 I will discuss Jeremy Bentham, who is considered the founding father of utilitarianism. He was an English philosopher and a political radical. Jeremy was born on February 15, 1748 in Houndsditch, London and died June 6, 1832. Jeremy Bentham came from a family of attorneys and lived during a time period of major social, political and economic change. In 1760 He went to the Queen’s College, Oxford and graduated in 1764. He also studied law at Lincoln’s Inn. Even though he was qualified to practice law, he never did. Jeremy decided to devote his life to writing on matters of legal reform. Some days he would write for eight to 12 hours. His best known works were on theoretical questions about law. Although, he did not make much of an effort to have his writings published. Jeremy’s most important work is the “Introduction to the principles of Morals and Legislation (1789)”, where his moral theory reflected “the greatest happiness principle” is described and developed. Upon his death on June 6, 1832, he left thousands of manuscript pages, all of which he hoped would eventually be prepared and published. The basis of Bentham’s moral and political philosophy is the greatest happiness principle, universal egoism and the artificial identification of...
Words: 1216 - Pages: 5
...Jeremy Bentham is one of the foremost characters in the reform of corrections and rehabilitation of prisoners. He designed the famous panopticon style prison consisting of several cell blocks interconnected by a main administrative block. His design never really caught on in Europe, several prototype prisons were built, but only in America were any panopticon like prisons built. He was an advocate for prisoners’ rights, their education and health. Bentham defined the term “utilitarianism” meaning that everything should try to get “the greatest happiness of the greatest number”. He brought about change in British law trying to composing more humane, and compassionate prison laws. His views, though compassionate, often dealt with criminals as...
Words: 990 - Pages: 4
...Jeremy Bentham was born in London, England on the February 15, 1748. He was known for being a proponent in the utilitarian movement. Jeremy father was a Lawyer, having decided that Jeremy would follow his footsteps. At the age twelve, Jeremy attended Queens College, Oxford. After Jeremy graduated from Queens College he immediately entered Lincolns Inn to study law and found out his weakness to public speaking and left Lincoln Inn to concentrate on his writings (Jeremy Bentham). As Jeremy focused on his writings he wrote a number of books on philosophy, economics and politics. He began expressing his conservative political views, until he was exposed to Joseph Priestly. Joseph Priestly work impacted the views of Jeremy and later Jeremy changed his views according to his work. Jeremy published work like, Principles of International Law, A fragment of Government, Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, Catechism of Reformers, Constitutional Code and many more (Spartacus Educational). Fig. 1. A cartoon shows does the end justify the means (UTILITARIANISM). According to the Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, is where Jeremy articulates rational principles that would provide a basis and guide for legal, social and moral reform. Jeremy then developed fundamental moral principles on which laws should be set. Jeremy philosophy of utilitarianism stated, “The greatest happiness principle” or “the principle of utility”. These statements were...
Words: 380 - Pages: 2
...Biography of Jeremy Bentham: Before I begin to give you an autobiography of Jeremy Bentham, I would like give you this little supplement of the subject Right or Wrong i.e... Principle of Utility. Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two supreme masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do. On the one hand we have right and wrong, on the other we have the chain of causes and effects. They govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think: every effort we can make to throw off our weakness. In words, a man may pretend to reject their domain: but in reality he will remain subject to it all the while. The principle of utility recognizes this subjection, and assumes it for the foundation of that system, the object of which is to take care of the basics of reason and of law. The principle of utility is the basis of the present work: it will be good therefore at the beginning to give a clear and determinate account of what is meant by it. By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever. According to the tendency it appears to have to enhance or diminish the happiness of the person(s) whose interest is in question (http://www.blupete.com). Jeremy Bentham was born in Queens Square Place, London, on 15th February 1748, son and grandson of attorneys in the City of London, the eldest of six children, highly intelligent, scholarly...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...Jeremy Bentham Jeremy Bentham was born in London, England in 1748, and he died in 1832. “He was a hedonistic utilitarian. He believed that in attempting to evaluate the pleasure or pain produced by an action there are various aspects of the pain and pleasure that we should consider.” (DeGeorge, 46) He was actually one of the key founders of Utilitarianism. The definition of Utilitarianism is the belief that the value of a thing or an action is determined by its utility. (dictionary.com) He was what many people would have called a “radical” in the time he lived. Jeremy Bentham was very intelligent and obviously a very deep thinker. He was already reading and studying Latin at the age of 4. According to research, at the age of 13, the importance of religion to get into certain schools and colleges already bothered him. He wanted things in the world to change, and he was determined to see that happen. “Bentham hoped that ethics would become as exact and precise a science as physics and mathematics. In order to actualize such a vision, Bentham endeavored to describe his thought in such plain terms to propound the greatest happiness principle for the greatest number of people as the criterion for choosing a moral decision as well as certain legislation.” (Eudaimonism IV) He believed that the only two masters of man were pain and pleasure, and he definitely believed that man should seek to obtain pleasure no matter what the cost. “He thought that people should do whatever would...
Words: 622 - Pages: 3
...Utilitarianism Utilitarianism was founded by Jeremy Bentham and was adopted by John Stuart Mill, whose father was an associate of Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall happiness or pleasure for all the people involved, by whatever means necessary. The moral worth of an action is determined only by its resulting outcome; therefore utilitarianism is only concerned with consequences and not with intentions of an action. Both philosophers believed that a morally good action will bring the greatest pleasure or happiness, and an immoral action will be the one that produces more pain. Therefore, everything we do and ought to do is driven by the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. The difference between the two philosophers was that Bentham believed that only the quantity of pleasure matters, whereas Mills argues that the quality of the pleasure matters more. Both, Mill and Bentham had very similar view on Utilitarianism, but yet Mill’s was distinguished from Bentham’s. Bentham was more concerned with the amount of pleasure that is generated from an action. He did not consider that some pleasures are higher and some lower. Because of that he was able to quantify the amount of pleasure or pain according to a single set of criteria. On the other hand, Mill believed that the quality of the pleasure matters more and that all pleasures cannot be so simply quantified. The following...
Words: 683 - Pages: 3
...Utilitarianism: * Utilitarianism is a theory in normative ethics holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes utility, usually defined as maximizing happiness and reducing suffering. * The Utilitarian tradition is often summarised as “the greatest good for the greatest number” * “The Classical Utilitarians, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, identified the good with pleasure”. Therefore pleasure is the ultimate goal that will lead to an ethical society, according to the Utilitarian approach. John Stuart Mill: * was an English philosopher, political economist and civil servant. * He has been called "the most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century Theory of liberty: * Mill states that it is acceptable for someone to harm himself as long as he is not harming others. * On Liberty involves an impassioned defense of free speech * The individual ought to be free to do as he wishes unless he harms others. * Individuals are rational enough to make decisions about their good being and choose any religion they want to. * Government should interfere when it is for the protection of society. * Freedom of speech Harm principle: * The harm principle holds that the actions of individuals should only be limited to prevent harm to other individuals. * John Stuart Mill articulated this principle in On Liberty, where he argued that, "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised...
Words: 512 - Pages: 3
...Critically assess the view that utilitarianism is of no use when making decisions about sexual ethics. (35 marks) Utilitarianism is a theory mainly derived and developed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stewart Mill. Bentham was headanistic and stated that happiness consisted of pleasure minus pain. This essentially is what makes the ethical theory difficult to use when making decisions about sexual ethics as everyone’s ideas of pain and pleasure varies therefore it is hard to come to a solid decision, especially as sexual acts mostly involve more than one person, this can cause conflict. However, It would not be fair to say that Utilitarianism is of no use at all when making decisions about sexual ethics as it can provide a useful tool when considering such issues in some cases. Although, it seems that if ‘use’ is taken to mean the clarity of decision making in a practical sense, Natural Law would be a better alternative on matters such as contraception as more of a clear response would be provided. A theory’s usefulness depends on your definition. Thus, with different definitions, Utilitarianism’s use can change. One important area of sexual ethics is the issue of contraception. A utilitarian approach may be considered of use when applied to the subject of contraception, when use is defined as fitting in to modern society. Utilitarianism considers the maximising happiness and minimising pain for the maximum number. It must consider the consequences of an action. It can be...
Words: 1446 - Pages: 6
...Situation Ethics * Situation ethics was most famously championed by Joseph Fletcher (1905-1991). * He believed that we should follow the rules until we need to break them for reasons of love. * It is based on agape love (Christian unconditional love), and says that we should always do the most loving thing in any situation. * Fletcher rejected following rules regardless (legalism) and also the idea that we should not have any rules (antinomianism) and said that we need to find a balance between the two. Four working principles When establishing his version of Situation Ethics, Fletcher used four key principles which he aimed to fulfil in writing his theory: 1. Pragmatism (it has to work in daily life - it must be practical) 2. Relativism (there should be no fixed rules) 3. Positivism (it must put faith before reasoning – "I am a Christian, so what should I do?") 4. Personalism (people should be at the centre of the theory) Six Fundamental Principles There are six fundamental things that underlie Fletcher's Situation Ethics: 1. Love is the only absolute (it is intrinsically good) 2. Christian decision making is based on love 3. Justice is love distributed 4. Love wants the good for anyone, whoever they are 5. Only the end justifies the means 6. Love is acted out situationally not prescriptivally Advantages of Situation Ethics The key advantage is that it uses rules to provide a framework but allows people to break rules to reflect life's complexities...
Words: 1040 - Pages: 5
