s="" philosophical="" successor,="" who="" carried="" on="" both="" his="" phenomenalist="" and="" presentationalist="" philosophy="" into="" the="" social="" arena="" of="" politics="" ethics,="" was="" john="" stuart="" mill.="" but="" first="" we="" must="" turn="" to="" an="" even="" greater="" influence="" mill's="" views,="" one="" leading="" radical="" reformers="" nineteenth="" century,="" jeremy="" bentham. Born in London, the son of a leading attorney, Bentham was a child prodigy who began studying history and Latin at the age of three. At twelve he entered Queen's College in Oxford and earned his B. A. in three years and his M. A. two years later at the age of seventeen. His father expected him to become a practicing lawyer, but Bentham was far more interested in the philosophical foundations of ethics, morality, and legal theory. He traveled widely throughout Europe and wrote his first essay on economics in Russia. In 1792 he became a citizen of France. Bentham's main philosophical influences were Locke and Hume. When he read Hume's Treatise and Human Nature he said it was as if scales fell from eyes. He went on to publish several books on political and legal theory, but it was his Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation that made him a powerful and influential international figure. In his Principles he laid the groundwork for utilitarianism; as developed by Mill (whom we shall consider in the next section), his theory is still today one of the leading moral theories in the world.Bentham defines his principle of utility as "that property in any object whereby it tends to produce pleasure, good or happiness, or to prevent the happening of mischief, pain, evil or unhappiness to the party whose interest is considered". According to Bentham, this principle takes account of the two main motives for all human action—pain and pleasure. Governments, social, political and legal institutions, as well as individual citizens, should follow the Greatest Happiness Principle: choose that course of action that leads to the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. His utilitarianism, designed to free people from oppressive laws and to make governing bodies moral, provided a foundation to many democratic societies. Since leaders as well as individuals are thus morally bound to follow the same universal principle and one that is readily accessible to everyone—we all know what pain and pleasure are — there can be no manipulation, through rhetoric, of the weak by the powerful. In Bentham's system we are each our own best judge as to how best to live and attain happiness.He openly called for the rejection of all monarchies and established churches, claiming that "all government is in itself one vast evil." The only justification for putting such evil into place would be to prevent some greater evil; governments should therefore never stray from the principle of utility—the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Among Bentham's many disciples, the most famous is John Stuart Mill, who further developed utilitarianism but along rather different lines.
1.What does the author probably mean by "scales fell from eyes" in the third paragraph?
2.Which of the following can best explain the quotes in the fourth paragraph of Bentham's definition of principle of utility?
3.How did Bentham influence the world according to the passage?
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
5.Which of the following would most likely follow this passage?
'>Comte's philosophical successor, who carried on both his phenomenalist and presentationalist philosophy into the social arena of politics and ethics, was John Stuart Mill. But first we must turn to an even greater influence on Mill's views, one of the leading radical reformers of the nineteenth century, Jeremy Bentham.Born in London, the son of a leading attorney, Bentham was a child prodigy who began studying history and Latin at the age of three. At twelve he entered Queen
