Benthamism

[ben-thuh-miz-uhm, -tuh-]

noun

1. the utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham.

Benthamism

/ ˈbɛnθəˌmɪzəm /

noun

1. the philosophy of utilitarianism as first expounded by Jeremy Bentham in terms of an action being good that has a greater tendency to augment the happiness of the community than to diminish it

Other Word Forms

• Benthamic adjective
• Benthamite noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Benthamism¹

First recorded in 1820–30; Bentham + -ism

Example Sentences

I often amuse myself by trying to imagine what Bentham would have said of Benthamism expounded by Mill.

From Project Gutenberg

Of or pertaining to Bentham or Benthamism.

From Project Gutenberg

One who believes in Benthamism.

From Project Gutenberg

The English Miss Sedgwick deserves the thanks of humanity for putting Benthamism into clean purple and fine linen.

From Project Gutenberg

But in England the dominant philosophy was Benthamism, the dominant theology was equally hard, and Newman turned from both in disgust, took to the theological road-making of the Via Media, and finally found refuge in Rome, driven by the conviction that ‘there are but two alternatives, the way to Rome and the way to atheism.’

From Project Gutenberg