An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1789
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- English
- Length
- Medium · 300 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendAn Introduction to the Principles of Morals and LegislationDover, 2007An inexpensive reprint of the 1823 edition, the last Bentham revised.
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The founding text of utilitarianism. Bentham opens by declaring that nature has placed mankind under two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure, and that the principle of utility, approving every action according to its tendency to increase or diminish happiness, is the only defensible standard for morals and law. He sets out a calculus for measuring pleasures and pains by intensity, duration and other dimensions, classifies the kinds of pleasure and of motive, and applies the whole to the theory of punishment and the division of offences.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
