Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism. He held that the greatest happiness of the greatest number was the measure of right and wrong, became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and opposed the idea of natural law and natural rights, calling them nonsense upon stilts. He is known for his 1789 book An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, the first major work on utilitarianism. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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RolePhilosopher, jurist and social reformer 2 Nationality / Jurisdiction Place of Death Classification
Field of Law Role
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Why did Jeremy Bentham reject natural rights?
Bentham found natural rights abstract and slippery and dismissed them as nonsense on stilts.
Bentham rejected natural and imprescriptible rights because he found them abstract and slippery. He famously dismissed them as nonsense on stilts, and the bloody excesses of the Terror in France reinforced this criticism.
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1. Jeremy Bentham (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFull article, field of lawQuote, Full article, field of law
The Panopticon was intended to be cheaper than the prisons of his time, as it required fewer staff; "Allow me to construct a prison on this model", Bentham requested to a Committee for the Reform of Criminal Law, "I will be the gaoler.
2. Jeremy Bentham (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, opening sentence
an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism
Lead section, birth date
15 February 1748
Lead section, death date
6 June 1832
Introduction
Jeremy Bentham (; 4 February 1747/8 O.S. [15 February 1748 N.S.] - 6 June 1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism.
In Legal System: English Law, Wikipedia lead sentence
was an English philosopher
View the Source 3. Wikidata: Jeremy Bentham
Wikidata Q60887, P569 date of birth claim (full date)
P569 (date of birth): 1748-02-15
Wikidata Q60887, P570 date of death claim (full date)
P570 (date of death): 1832-06-06
Wikidata Q60887, P20 place of death claim
P20 (place of death): London
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