ABSTRACT
Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) is usually regarded as the father of utilitarianism. Although Francis Hutcheson (1694-1746) and David Hume (1711-1776) had ideas similar to Bentham’s, Bentham used the word “utilitarian” for the first time and developed the idea systematically in An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation published in 1789. Bentham’s major aim in this publication was a reform of the British penal code, which was still based on the medieval idea that criminals should be punished for punishment’s sake. Bentham argued that the penalty should be determined so as to maximize the utility or happiness of society. He states, “all punishment in itself is evil” (Methuen 1970 edition, p. 158). In his humanist approach, Bentham was a part of the philosophy of the European Enlightenment.
