Jeremy Bentham was a Jurist, British philosopher as well as a social reformer. He is regarded as the father of modern utilitarianism. Bentham defined as the "fundamental axiom" of his philosophy the principle that "it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong". He was theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical whose ideas influenced the development of welfarism. He advocated individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the right to divorce, and the decriminalising of homosexual acts . He called for the abolition of slavery, the abolition of the death penalty, and the abolition of physical punishment, including that of children . He has also become known in recent years as an early …show more content…
Rule II. The greater the mischief of the offence, the greater is the expense it may be worthwhile to be at, in the way of punishment. This rule is so obvious in itself, that to say anything in proof of it would be needless; but how few are the instances in which it has been observed. It is not long since that women were condemned to be burnt alive for uttering bad money. The punishment of death is still lavished on a multitude of offenses of the least mischievous description. The punishment of burning is still in use in many countries for offenses which might safely be left to the restraint of the moral sanction. It it can be worthwhile to be at the expense of so terrible a punishment as that of burning alive, it ought to be reserved for murder or