In the Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789), Bentham strove æto cut a new road through the wilds of jurisprudenceÆ. Laws should be socially useful and not merely reflect the status quo; and, that while he believed that human beings inevitably pursue pleasure and avoid pain, Bentham thought it to be a æsacred truthÆ that æthe greatest happiness of the greatest number is the foundation of morals and legislationÆ.
Dr David Mills Daniel is an educational consultant who has worked for several major international exam boards in the UK.