Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Jeremy Bentham: An English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer of the 18th and 19th centuries. He is primarily recognized as the founder of the ethical and legal doctrine known as utilitarianism.

Usage

• Proper noun:
  • The philosophical works of Bentham have had a lasting impact on legal theory.
  • Bentham argued that the best actions are those that maximize utility, often summarized as "the greatest happiness for the greatest number."

Advanced Usage

• "Benthamite" (adj): Pertaining to the ideas or principles of Jeremy Bentham.
  • The proposal was criticized for its Benthamite focus on quantitative outcomes over qualitative values.
• "Benthamism" (n): A term sometimes used synonymously with the core principles of Bentham's utilitarianism.
  • His advocacy for social reform was rooted in Benthamism.

Variants and Related Words

• Utilitarianism (n): The ethical theory, most associated with Bentham and later John Stuart Mill, that an action is right if it promotes happiness or pleasure and wrong if it produces unhappiness or pain.
• Panopticon (n): A type of institutional building designed by Bentham. Its architectural principle allowed all inmates to be observed by a single watchman without the inmates knowing whether they are being watched.

Synonyms

• Philosopher: Thinker, theorist.
• Jurist: Legal scholar, legal theorist.
• Utilitarian: (When referring to a follower of his philosophy).

Related Phrases

• The principle of utility: The central concept in Bentham's philosophy, which proposes that the value of an action is determined by its contribution to overall happiness.
  • Bentham's principle of utility was a radical idea for its time.
• Felicific calculus: A method proposed by Bentham for calculating the degree or amount of pleasure that a specific action is likely to produce.
  • He attempted, perhaps unrealistically, to apply a felicific calculus to legislative decisions.

Noun

1. English philosopher and jurist; founder of utilitarianism (1748-1831)