Bentham, Jeremy 1748-1832. English
philosopher, legal and social reformer, and
founder of utilitarianism. The essence of his
moral philosophy is found in the
pronouncement of his Principles of Morals and
Legislation (written 1780, published 1789):
that the object of all legislation should be
`the greatest happiness for the greatest
number'. Bentham declared that the `utility'
of any law is to be measured by the extent to
which it promotes the pleasure, good, and
happiness of the people concerned. In 1776,
he published Fragments on Government. He made
suggestions for the reform of the poor law
1798, which formed the basis of the reforms
enacted in 1834, and in his Catechism of
Parliamentary Reform 1817 he proposed annual
elections, the secret ballot, and universal
male suffrage. He was also a pioneer of
prison reform. In economics he was an apostle
of laissez-faire, and in his Defence of Usury
1787 and Manual of Political Economy 1798 he
contended that his principle of `utility' was
best served by allowing every man (sic) to
pursue his own interests unhindered by
restrictive legislation. He was made a
citizen of the French Republic in 1792.