Benthamism

American  

[ben-thuh-miz-uhm, -tuh-] / ˈbɛn θəˌmɪz əm, -tə- /

noun

1. the utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham.

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Benthamism British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• Benthamic adjective
• Benthamite noun

Etymology

Origin of Benthamism

First recorded in 1820–30; Bentham + -ism

Example Sentences

Benthamism was a rationalistic and criticizing system, which referred everything to reason and experience, and would accept nothing merely because it had become by age the centre of human confidence.

From A Short History of English Liberalism by Blease, Walter Lyon

But as a complete science of politics Benthamism is no longer possible.

From Human Nature in Politics Third Edition by Wallas, Graham

Bentham himself was an admirer of Owen and supported his philanthropy, but, as expressions of a social attitude, Benthamism and Owenism were poles asunder.

From Recent Developments in European Thought by Various

For all its philanthropy, Benthamism did not settle the problem of the conditions of life among the working classes.

From A Short History of English Liberalism by Blease, Walter Lyon

The failure was of the sort which was inevitably incident to Benthamism.

From A Short History of English Liberalism by Blease, Walter Lyon