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An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation

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29: 108:, Bentham seeks to determine what a system of laws would look like if it was constructed on a purely utilitarian basis. To that end, Bentham offers painstaking analyses of the various kinds of pleasures and pains, the sources of pleasures and pains, how pleasures and pains should be measured, the morally and legally relevant components of human actions, the negative consequences of harmful acts, types of behavior that are "unmeet" for punishment, and the various classes of offences. 1509: 155:
pleasure or pain: its intensity, its duration, its degree of certainty, its propinquity or remoteness, its fecundity (i.e., its tendency to produce further pleasures or pains), its purity (i.e., whether it is purely pleasurable or painful, or is mixed with its opposite), and its extent (i.e., the number of persons to whom it extends).
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come when the rest of the animal creation may acquire those rights which never could have been withholden from them but by the hand of tyranny. The French have already discovered that the blackness of the skin is no reason why a human being should be abandoned without redress to the caprice of a
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The book contains several of Bentham's most best-known quotations. In Chapter 1, "Of the Principle of Utility," Bentham describes how actions are motivated by the desire for pleasure and are right insofar as they create utility or happiness: "Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two
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also contains Bentham's famous discussion of the "felicific (or hedonic) calculus"—his proposed method for determining which future course of action would produce the greatest net amount of pleasure over pain. According to Bentham, seven factors should be considered in weighing the value of a
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are reasons equally insufficient for abandoning a sensitive being to the same fate. What else is it that should trace the insuperable line? Is it the faculty of reason, or perhaps the faculty of discourse? But a full-grown horse or dog is beyond comparison a more rational, as well as a more
126:"The day has been, I grieve to say in many places it is not yet past, in which the greater part of the species, under the denomination of slaves, have been treated by the law exactly upon the same footing as, in England for example, the inferior races of animals are still. The day 100:, whom he greatly influenced, Bentham believed that happiness or pleasure is the only thing that is good for its own sake. He believed that humans, by nature, are motivated exclusively by the desire for pleasure (a view known as 172: 123:
Chapter 17, "Of the Limits of the Penal Branch of Jurisprudence," also contains an early endorsement of the idea that the interests of animals may matter morally:
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conversable animal, than an infant of a day or a week or even a month, old. But suppose they were otherwise, what would it avail? The question is not Can they
80:"originally printed in 1780, and first published in 1789." Bentham's "most important theoretical work," it is where Bentham develops his theory of 1278: 1548: 1310: 131:
tormentor. It may one day come to be recognized that the number of legs, the villosity of the skin, or the termination of the
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It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do."
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Bentham was the first major philosopher to develop and defend a
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An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation.
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An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
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An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
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An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
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is a book by the English philosopher and legal theorist
165: 1525: 332: 1279:Fifteen Sermons Preached at the Rolls Chapel 220:New York: Hafner Publishing Co., 1948, p. 1. 265:https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bentham/ 16:Philosophical work by Jeremy Bentham (1789) 339: 325: 187: 84:and is the first major book on the topic. 27: 106:The Principles of Morals and Legislation 1311:Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals 302:Full text of Batoche Books 2000 version 274:. Oxford Oxford University Press, 1986. 1526: 312:Full text (HTML) at utilitarianism.com 320: 259:James E. Crimmins, "Jeremy Bentham," 198:. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy 272:Bentham and the Common Law Tradition 1327:Elements of the Philosophy of Right 261:Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 13: 253: 14: 1560: 297:Full text at earlymoderntexts.com 285: 193: 1508: 1507: 281:. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982. 1549:Modern philosophical literature 1295:The Theory of Moral Sentiments 665:Value monism – Value pluralism 236: 223: 210: 1: 158: 1359:On the Genealogy of Morality 1319:Critique of Practical Reason 7: 87: 10: 1565: 1544:Works about utilitarianism 1287:A Treatise of Human Nature 346: 1503: 1410: 1255: 1021: 746: 675: 537: 412: 354: 59: 51: 43: 35: 26: 638:Universal prescriptivism 292:Full PDF of 1789 version 427:Artificial intelligence 96:theory of ethics. Like 1534:1789 non-fiction books 102:psychological hedonism 1351:The Methods of Ethics 589:Divine command theory 584:Ideal observer theory 175:. UCL Bentham Project 1468:Political philosophy 1438:Evolutionary ethics 1399:Reasons and Persons 1375:A Theory of Justice 529:Uncertain sentience 270:Gerald J. Postema, 112:sovereign masters, 23: 1433:Ethics in religion 1428:Descriptive ethics 1263:Nicomachean Ethics 21: 1521: 1520: 1488:Social philosophy 1473:Population ethics 1463:Philosophy of law 1443:History of ethics 926:Political freedom 603:Euthyphro dilemma 394:Suffering-focused 279:Essays on Bentham 216:Jeremey Bentham, 69: 68: 1556: 1511: 1510: 1458:Moral psychology 1403: 1395: 1387: 1383:Practical Ethics 1379: 1371: 1367:Principia Ethica 1363: 1355: 1347: 1339: 1331: 1323: 1315: 1307: 1299: 1291: 1283: 1275: 1271:Ethics (Spinoza) 1267: 906:Moral imperative 364:Consequentialism 341: 334: 327: 318: 317: 247: 240: 234: 233:, pp. 310-11n.1. 227: 221: 214: 208: 207: 205: 203: 196:"Jeremy Bentham" 194:Sweet, William. 191: 185: 184: 182: 180: 169: 144:? but, Can they 98:John Stuart Mill 61:Publication date 31: 24: 20: 1564: 1563: 1559: 1558: 1557: 1555: 1554: 1553: 1524: 1523: 1522: 1517: 1499: 1406: 1401: 1393: 1385: 1377: 1369: 1361: 1353: 1345: 1337: 1329: 1321: 1313: 1305: 1297: 1289: 1281: 1273: 1265: 1251: 1024: 1017: 941:Self-discipline 901:Moral hierarchy 849:Problem of evil 794:Double standard 784:Culture of life 742: 671: 618:Non-cognitivism 533: 408: 350: 345: 306:additional link 288: 256: 254:Further reading 251: 250: 241: 237: 228: 224: 215: 211: 201: 199: 192: 188: 178: 176: 171: 170: 166: 161: 140:? nor Can they 90: 62: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1562: 1552: 1551: 1546: 1541: 1539:Jeremy Bentham 1536: 1519: 1518: 1516: 1515: 1504: 1501: 1500: 1498: 1497: 1490: 1485: 1483:Secular ethics 1480: 1478:Rehabilitation 1475: 1470: 1465: 1460: 1455: 1450: 1445: 1440: 1435: 1430: 1425: 1420: 1414: 1412: 1408: 1407: 1405: 1404: 1396: 1388: 1380: 1372: 1364: 1356: 1348: 1343:Utilitarianism 1340: 1332: 1324: 1316: 1308: 1300: 1292: 1284: 1276: 1268: 1259: 1257: 1253: 1252: 1250: 1249: 1244: 1239: 1234: 1229: 1224: 1219: 1214: 1209: 1204: 1199: 1194: 1189: 1184: 1179: 1174: 1169: 1164: 1159: 1154: 1149: 1144: 1139: 1134: 1129: 1124: 1119: 1114: 1109: 1104: 1099: 1094: 1089: 1084: 1079: 1074: 1069: 1064: 1059: 1054: 1049: 1044: 1039: 1034: 1028: 1026: 1019: 1018: 1016: 1015: 1010: 1005: 1000: 995: 994: 993: 988: 983: 973: 968: 963: 958: 953: 948: 943: 938: 933: 928: 923: 918: 913: 908: 903: 898: 893: 888: 883: 878: 873: 868: 863: 858: 853: 852: 851: 846: 841: 831: 826: 821: 816: 811: 806: 801: 796: 791: 786: 781: 776: 771: 766: 761: 756: 750: 748: 744: 743: 741: 740: 735: 730: 725: 720: 715: 710: 705: 703:Existentialist 700: 695: 690: 685: 679: 677: 673: 672: 670: 669: 668: 667: 657: 652: 647: 642: 641: 640: 635: 630: 625: 615: 610: 605: 600: 598:Constructivism 595: 594: 593: 592: 591: 586: 576: 575: 574: 572:Non-naturalism 569: 554: 549: 543: 541: 535: 534: 532: 531: 526: 521: 516: 511: 506: 501: 496: 491: 486: 481: 476: 471: 466: 465: 464: 454: 449: 444: 439: 434: 429: 424: 418: 416: 410: 409: 407: 406: 401: 399:Utilitarianism 396: 391: 386: 381: 376: 371: 366: 360: 358: 352: 351: 344: 343: 336: 329: 321: 315: 314: 309: 299: 294: 287: 286:External links 284: 283: 282: 275: 268: 255: 252: 249: 248: 235: 222: 209: 186: 163: 162: 160: 157: 89: 86: 82:utilitarianism 78:Jeremy Bentham 67: 66: 63: 60: 57: 56: 53: 49: 48: 45: 41: 40: 39:Jeremy Bentham 37: 33: 32: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1561: 1550: 1547: 1545: 1542: 1540: 1537: 1535: 1532: 1531: 1529: 1514: 1506: 1505: 1502: 1496: 1495: 1491: 1489: 1486: 1484: 1481: 1479: 1476: 1474: 1471: 1469: 1466: 1464: 1461: 1459: 1456: 1454: 1451: 1449: 1446: 1444: 1441: 1439: 1436: 1434: 1431: 1429: 1426: 1424: 1421: 1419: 1416: 1415: 1413: 1409: 1400: 1397: 1392: 1389: 1384: 1381: 1376: 1373: 1368: 1365: 1360: 1357: 1352: 1349: 1344: 1341: 1336: 1333: 1328: 1325: 1320: 1317: 1312: 1309: 1304: 1301: 1296: 1293: 1288: 1285: 1280: 1277: 1272: 1269: 1264: 1261: 1260: 1258: 1254: 1248: 1245: 1243: 1240: 1238: 1235: 1233: 1230: 1228: 1225: 1223: 1220: 1218: 1215: 1213: 1210: 1208: 1205: 1203: 1200: 1198: 1195: 1193: 1190: 1188: 1185: 1183: 1180: 1178: 1175: 1173: 1170: 1168: 1165: 1163: 1160: 1158: 1155: 1153: 1150: 1148: 1145: 1143: 1140: 1138: 1135: 1133: 1130: 1128: 1125: 1123: 1120: 1118: 1115: 1113: 1110: 1108: 1105: 1103: 1100: 1098: 1095: 1093: 1090: 1088: 1085: 1083: 1080: 1078: 1075: 1073: 1070: 1068: 1065: 1063: 1060: 1058: 1055: 1053: 1050: 1048: 1045: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1033: 1030: 1029: 1027: 1025: 1020: 1014: 1011: 1009: 1006: 1004: 1001: 999: 996: 992: 989: 987: 984: 982: 979: 978: 977: 974: 972: 969: 967: 964: 962: 959: 957: 954: 952: 949: 947: 944: 942: 939: 937: 934: 932: 929: 927: 924: 922: 919: 917: 914: 912: 909: 907: 904: 902: 899: 897: 896:Moral courage 894: 892: 889: 887: 884: 882: 879: 877: 874: 872: 869: 867: 864: 862: 859: 857: 854: 850: 847: 845: 842: 840: 837: 836: 835: 834:Good and evil 832: 830: 827: 825: 822: 820: 819:Family values 817: 815: 812: 810: 807: 805: 802: 800: 797: 795: 792: 790: 787: 785: 782: 780: 777: 775: 772: 770: 767: 765: 762: 760: 757: 755: 752: 751: 749: 745: 739: 736: 734: 731: 729: 726: 724: 721: 719: 716: 714: 711: 709: 706: 704: 701: 699: 696: 694: 691: 689: 686: 684: 681: 680: 678: 674: 666: 663: 662: 661: 658: 656: 653: 651: 648: 646: 643: 639: 636: 634: 633:Quasi-realism 631: 629: 626: 624: 621: 620: 619: 616: 614: 611: 609: 606: 604: 601: 599: 596: 590: 587: 585: 582: 581: 580: 577: 573: 570: 568: 565: 564: 563: 560: 559: 558: 555: 553: 550: 548: 545: 544: 542: 540: 536: 530: 527: 525: 522: 520: 517: 515: 512: 510: 507: 505: 502: 500: 497: 495: 492: 490: 487: 485: 482: 480: 477: 475: 472: 470: 467: 463: 460: 459: 458: 457:Environmental 455: 453: 450: 448: 445: 443: 440: 438: 435: 433: 430: 428: 425: 423: 420: 419: 417: 415: 411: 405: 402: 400: 397: 395: 392: 390: 387: 385: 382: 380: 379:Particularism 377: 375: 372: 370: 367: 365: 362: 361: 359: 357: 353: 349: 342: 337: 335: 330: 328: 323: 322: 319: 313: 310: 307: 303: 300: 298: 295: 293: 290: 289: 280: 277:H.L.A. 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Index


Jeremy Bentham
utilitarianism
utilitarian
John Stuart Mill
psychological hedonism
"Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation"
"Jeremy Bentham"
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bentham/
Full PDF of 1789 version
Full text at earlymoderntexts.com
Full text of Batoche Books 2000 version
additional link
Full text (HTML) at utilitarianism.com
v
t
e
Ethics
Normative
Consequentialism
Deontology
Care
Particularism
Pragmatic
Role
Suffering-focused
Utilitarianism
Virtue
Applied
Animal

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