Search Results: Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is a philosophy founded by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and then extended by other thinkers, notably John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Utilitarianism involves the greatest happiness principle, which holds that a law or action is...

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) was an English philosopher and liberal social reformer best known as the founder of utilitarianism based on the greatest happiness principle, that is, rationally judging the success of a law by considering how many...

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a highly influential English philosopher of the Victorian Era. His writings were influenced by the Enlightenment thinkers and German Romanticism. Besides philosophical works, he wrote on mathematics, language...

An illustrated portrait by H.W. Pickersgill of the English philosopher and founder of Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). (Wellcome Image Gallery)

The Enlightenment (Age of Reason) was a revolution in thought in Europe and North America from the late 17th century to the late 18th century. The Enlightenment involved new approaches in philosophy, science, and politics. Above all, the...

An 1873 oil-on-canvas portrait by George Frederic Watts of John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), a major proponent of Utilitarianism. (National Portrait Gallery, London)

A c. 1870 photograph of John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), a major proponent of Utilitarianism. (Hulton Archive/London Stereoscopic Company)

A c. 1624 oil-on-canvas painting by Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656) titled The Merry Violinist. (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid)

A diagram of the Panopticon, a prison designed in 1791 by the English philosopher and founder of Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832). The prison allowed for warders to observe prisoners at all times without themselves being observed.

Michel Foucault (1926-1984) was a post-modernist French philosopher and is considered one of the most influential philosophers of modern times. Aside from his critiques of social institutions, his influence can be seen in both the humanities...