A Little History of Philosophy (Little Histories)

by Nigel Warburton

Some of Bentham's other ideas were more practical. Take his design for a circular prison, the Panopticon. He described it as ‘a machine for grinding rogues honest’. A watchtower in the middle allows a few guards to keep an eye on a large number of prisoners without them knowing whether or not they're being watched. This design principle is used in some modern prisons and even several libraries. It was one of his many projects for social reform. But far more important and influential than this was Bentham's theory about how we should live. Known as utilitarianism or the Greatest Happiness Principle, this is the idea that the right thing to do is whatever will produce the most happiness. Although not the first person to suggest this approach to morality (Francis Hutcheson, for instance, had already done so), Bentham was the first to explain in detail how it might be put into practice. He wanted to reform the laws of England so that they were more likely to bring about greater happiness.