Difference between revisions of "Jeremy Bentham"

Revision as of 19:40, 15 March 2019

Bentham - consequentialist

-people's motives are egoist/selfish, Ring of Gyges, what this says about anonymity

-Bentham's ethical philosophy and how it applies to modern day technological issues

-How Bentham's philosophy has influenced Floridi

Jeremy Bentham, a British philosopher, was born February 15th, 1748 in London, England and died June 6th, 1832 also in London.^[1] He contributed many ideas to various fields such as philosophy, economics, public policy, government, and law. Bentham was considered a consequentialist and utilitarian, and is widely regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism. In his contemplation of right and wrong, he explored the concepts of utility and the greatest happiness principle. Although not the first to create those ideas, Bentham's work has greatly influenced thinking in these areas throughout the nineteenth century and up to the present day.^[2]

Life

Jeremy's parent's, Jeremiah Bentham and Alicia Grove, married in 1744, a marriage that received the disapproval of Jeremiah's parents. Four years later Jeremy, named after his father, was born in Red Lion Street, Houndsditch. His brother, Samuel, was born nine years later in 1757.^[3]

From an early age, both brothers were found to be very bright and Jeremy in particular appeared to possess strong mental abilities. His father's friends would refer to Jeremey as a "Philosopher" even at age 5. Jeremy learned Latin grammar and the Greek alphabet as a young child and also picked up the violin before age 7. Around this time, Jeremy also quickly learned French from a tutor and eventually wrote many of his works in the language. Jeremy's parents played a large role in Jeremy's studies and growth as a child as they pushed him to develop his intellectual abilities.^[4]

In 1755, Jeremy was sent to Westminster boarding school, which he found to be unpleasant and felt he didn't learn much. His mother died in 1769, when Jeremy was 11 years old.^[5]

Jeremy remained close with his brother throughout his life. Samuel, like Jeremy, was bright. He became a naval architect, was an inventor of mechanical contrivances, and also became a knight. He died in 1831 just a year before his brother.^[6]

Work

Jeremy Bentham's best known work was his book "An Introduction toe the Principles of Morals and Legislation," published in 1789. It contains the important statements that lay the foundations of utilitarian philosophy and pioneer the study of crime and punishment, both of which remain at the heart of contemporary debates in moral and political philosophy, economics, and legal theory.^[7]

Utilitarianism

Information Ethics

Privacy

Jeremy Bentham gave significant attention to his thoughts on individual privacy. He strongly believed that law was an invasion of privacy and that it should be justified on the ground of necessary utility. This idea also influenced the thinking of John Stuart Mill.^[8]

References

1. ↑ "Duignan, Brian, and John P. Plamenatz. “Jeremy Bentham : British Philosopher and Economist.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com.
2. ↑ " Bentham, Jeremy. The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham : An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Edited by J. Burns et al., Clarendon Press, 1996."
3. ↑ "Atkinson, Charles M. Jeremy Bentham : His Life and Work. Methuen & Co., 1905."
4. ↑ "Atkinson, Charles M. Jeremy Bentham : His Life and Work. Methuen & Co., 1905."
5. ↑ "Atkinson, Charles M. Jeremy Bentham : His Life and Work. Methuen & Co., 1905."
6. ↑ "Atkinson, Charles M. Jeremy Bentham : His Life and Work. Methuen & Co., 1905."
7. ↑ "Bentham, Jeremy. The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham : An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Edited by J. Burns et al., Clarendon Press, 1996"
8. ↑ "Barendt, Eric M. “Why Privacy Is Valuable.” Privacy, edited by Eric Barendt, Dartmouth Publishing Company and Ashgate Publishing, 2001, p. 3–9."