An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Jeremy Bentham · 1789
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Description
Jeremy Bentham published An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation in 1789. Bentham founds utilitarianism, the view that right acts bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number. His principle of utility judges every law and act by its effects on pleasure and pain. The felicific calculus is his scheme for weighing those effects.
Bentham defines crimes, punishments, and the aims of law with reforming zeal. He attacks vague talk of natural rights and sympathy as guides to legislation. The book became utilitarianism's founding text in English. Law reformers across the world took up its program. Its demand that laws justify themselves by results still shapes policy debate.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Jeremy Bentham |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 1789 |
| COLLECTION | BOOKS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 512 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | Public Domain |
| RIGHTS | PUBLIC DOMAIN |
| SOURCE | Internet Archive |
Source: https://archive.org/details/anintroductiont00bentgoog