SOURCE: “Bentham's Utilitarianism: A Differential Interpretation” in In the Interest of the Governed: A Study in Bentham's Philosophy of Utility and Law, Clarendon Press, 1973, pp. 19-34.

In the following excerpt, Lyons explores Bentham's basic principle of utility and its relationship to morality, ethics, and government.

1. a Sketch of Bentham's Principle

The principle of utility, Bentham says, is the foundation of his work on morals and legislation. This is so, and in a variety of ways. The criterion of utility shapes his attitudes and judgements in every area of life. No philosopher has embraced a doctrine more consistently; none has ever attempted to apply a theory as extensively or systematically as Bentham has done. His principle determines his attitudes towards legislation, the use of punishment and reward, legal reform and codification. Its repercussions are felt even where one might think that utility had little to say. His analysis of...