Jeremy Bentham: podcast appearances and interviews

Jeremy Bentham was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer recognized as the founder of modern utilitarianism. He developed the principle that the right or wrong of an action is determined by whether it produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Bentham was a leading figure in Anglo-American legal philosophy and a political radical whose ideas contributed to the development of welfarism. His advocacy encompassed a range of social reforms including individual and economic freedoms, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, and the rights to divorce. He also supported the decriminalization of homosexual acts in an unpublished work and called for the abolition of slavery, capital punishment, and physical punishments, including those imposed on children. An early advocate for animal rights, Bentham rejected the notions of natural law and natural rights, criticizing them as nonsensical. Despite this, he valued the Magna Carta, citing it to contest the unlawful treatment of convicts in Australia. Bentham’s influence extended to prison, school, law, and parliamentary reforms, and his students included notable thinkers such as James Mill, John Stuart Mill, John Austin, and John Neal. He left instructions for his body to be dissected and preserved as an “auto-icon,” which is displayed at University College London. His most influential work, An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation, laid the foundation for utilitarian philosophy.