Jeremy Bentham

Born in London in 1748, Jeremy Bentham was trained in law but soon turned away from legal practice and devoted himself to philosophy and reform. He became one of the central figures in modern utilitarian thought, arguing that laws and public policies should be judged by how much happiness or suffering they produce.

Bentham wrote on an unusually wide range of subjects, including jurisprudence, political reform, punishment, religious freedom, and education. His ideas influenced later thinkers and reformers in Britain and beyond, and he is often remembered as a major force behind efforts to make law clearer, more rational, and more humane.

He also remains famous for the unusual fate of his body after his death in 1832: in keeping with his wishes, his preserved "auto-icon" became part of the history of University College London. Even so, it is his energetic, questioning mind—and his belief that institutions should serve real human well-being—that keeps his work alive for readers today.