Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832) was an English philosopher, political radical and legal and social reformer of the early Modern period.
He is best known as the founder of Utilitarianism, which he saw as the underlying moral principle on which his legal and social reforms should be based. Although his influence during his life was perhaps minor, his impact was greater in later years as his ideas were carried on by followers such as John Stuart Mill, Robert Owen and John Austin.