Regarded as the founding father of modern Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham was a prominent English reformer, jurist and philosopher. Bentham was also an advocate of modern liberalism and legal positivism. His main areas of interest comprised of political philosophy, philosophy of law, ethics and economics. Bentham was heavily influenced by the radical ideas of development of welfarism. Therefore, he propagated for freedom of expression, equal rights for women, individual and economic freedom, abolition of slavery, abolition of capital punishment, the right to divorce, decriminalization of homosexual acts and animal rights. Bentham’s disciples, including James Mill, John Austin and Robert Owen, were founders of the modern utopian socialism. He is also tagged as the “spiritual founder” of the University College of London due to his support for general availability of education for all. Bentham is also well-known for his ‘greatest happiness principle’, which states that ‘it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong’. Being a great thinker, philosopher and theorist, he expressed his views on several subjects across politics, society, legal system and economics. We have curated his quotes and sayings from his great works, speeches, and observations. Here is a collection of some of the greatest quotes from this extraordinary social reformer from 18th century England.
The question is not can they reason nor can they talk but can they suffer?
Jeremy Bentham
Nonsense on stilts
Jeremy Bentham
The quantity of pleasure being equal, push-pin is as good as poetry.
Jeremy Bentham
He who thinks and thinks for himself, will always have a claim to thanks; it is no matter whether it be right or wrong, so as it be explicit. If it is right, it will serve as a guide to direct; if wrong, as a beacon to warn.
Kind words cost no more than unkind ones . . . and we may scatter the seeds of courtesy and kindliness around us at so little expense. If you would fall into any extreme let it be on the side of gentleness. The human mind is so constructed that it resists vigor and yields to softness.
A civilized society must count animals as worthy of moral consideration and ethical treatment. The question is not, Can they reason? nor Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?
Jeremy Bentham
All government is a trust. Every branch of government is a trust, and immemorially acknowledged to be so.
Jeremy Bentham
Natural rights is simple nonsense: natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense—nonsense upon stilts.
Jeremy Bentham
All punishment is mischief; all punishment in itself is evil.
Jeremy Bentham
The age we live in is a busy age; in which knowledge is rapidly advancing towards perfection.
O Logic: born gatekeeper to the Temple of Science, victim of capricious destiny: doomed hitherto to be the drudge of pedants: come to the aid of thy master, Legislation
Jeremy Bentham
The request of industry to government is as modest as that of Diogenes to Alexander: Get out of my light.
Jeremy Bentham
Want keeps pace with dignity. Destitute of the lawful means of supporting his rank, his dignity presents a motive for malversation, and his power furnishes the means.
