1. 1748 - 1832

2. Biography
 Born on February 15th 1748
 Studied at Queen’s College
in Oxford in 1760, and after he
studied law at Lincoln’s Inn.
 In 1776 Bentham published his first
book A Fragment on Government.
 Bentham defined his theory of utilitarianism in his
book The Introduction to the Principled of Morals
and Legislation published in 1789

3. Biography Cont’d
 Bentham died on
June 6th 1832
 Bentham directed that
his body was to be
mummified and put in a
wooden cabinet called an
Auto-icon.

4. Historical Context
King George III
Reigned from 25th of
October 1760 to 29th of
January 1820

5. Utilitarianism
“What ought a person to do?”

6. Natural Law or Positive Law
“Every law is an infraction of liberty”
“Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two
sovereign monster; pain and pleasure”

7. How has utilitarianism affected the
law system?

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FkoEZisAm0&feature=r
If abortion was made illegal how would it affect
society?
If marijuana was made legal how would it affect society?
Does it secure the happiness of the majority of the
people?