ABSTRACT
The British jurist Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) was one of the so-called philosophical radicals who pressed for legal reforms in British society. Hence, he criticized certain aspects of that society. But the critic must have a normative standard from which to criticize. In line with the utilitarian-empiricist tradition, Bentham accepted neither the idea of natural rights nor that of contract theory. The only justification for authority and for political changes are human needs, namely, utility and pleasure. Here, Bentham followed Helvétius:
Pleasure and pain are the causes of human action; therefore, we can influence human behaviour by changing the relationship between pleasure and pain.
Pleasure is what justifies legislation and political authority.
