Bentham and Utilitarianism

Published: Oct. 19, 2020, 3:50 a.m.

18th C. Britain had a very brutal and unjust legal code. Bentham thought that the people who created laws and punishments needed to be guided by a rational principle, not by personal whims or biases. He proposed that we consider the utility of the laws and punishments for creating the greatest happiness and least pain for the community and its members. The principle of Utilitarianism should be the basis of our ethical, moral, and legal systems.