An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation

The son of an attorney, Bentham lived a relatively contented yet socially dedicated life. He was an activist, co-founding the short-lived radical magazine Westminister Review with J.S. Mill; he also sought reform measures in education (see Chrestomathia), politics (see Constitutional Code), and prisons (see Panopticon). In moral philosophy, Bentham is well-known for quantifying values of pleasure and pain in order to maximize happiness, a format generally known as the principle of utility. When he died, Bentham authorized the remains of his body to be given to University College London, where the remains still stand today, enclosed in a glass case and dressed in his own clothes - ostensibly, Bentham did this in the spirit of his own utilitarian principle, to allow others to benefit from examination of his body.