Jeremy Bentham Biography

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PRbentham.htm

Life
The philosopher and jurist Jeremy Bentham, the son of
a lawyer, was born into a Tory family in Houndsditch,
Spitalfields, London in 1748.

At twelve, he entered Queen’s College, Oxford where he

earned his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree. At
fifteen, he entered Lincoln’s Inn to study law. However,
Bentham never practiced law and concentrated on writing
instead, spending his life criticising existing law and
suggesting ways to improve it.

Supported by his family’s wealth, he made a series of books

on philosophy, economics, and politics. However,
many of his works were left unfinished and most of those
which he did finish were not published. Despite his obscure writing style, Bentham won many
admirers for his work.

Bentham supported equal rights for women, the separation of church and state, the right to
divorce, and the decriminalisation of homosexual acts. Bentham is regarded as the founder
of modern utilitarianism, a theory which he developed from the works of others including
the renowned philosopher David Hume. According to Bentham, "pain and pleasure are the
sovereign masters governing man's conduct." He believed that pleasure and pain could be
measured by what he called the “felicific calculus.”

Major Works
A Fragment on Government (1776) - Bentham’s first published work, an attack on the praises of
the English Constitution.

Introduction to the Principles of Morals (1789) - his most famous work that is widely regarded as
the founding document of British utilitarianism.

Short Review of the Declaration (1776) - an attack on America's Declaration of Independence.

Principles of International Law (1798) - argued that universal peace could only be obtained after
first achieving European Unity.

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