All punishment is mischief; all punishment in itself is evil. Jeremy Bentham More Quotes by Jeremy Bentham More Quotes From Jeremy Bentham Secrecy, being an instrument of conspiracy, ought never to be the system of a regular government. Jeremy Bentham politicspoliticalgovernment Reputation is the road to power Jeremy Bentham reputation ...the rarest of all human qualities is consistency. Jeremy Bentham utilitarianismconsistencyquality The law of England has established trial by judge and jury in the conviction that it is the mode best calculated to ascertain the truth. Jeremy Bentham judgingtrialslaw Every law is an infraction of liberty. Jeremy Bentham humorlawfunny Happiness is a very pretty thing to feel, but very dry to talk about. Jeremy Bentham pretty-thingsdryhappiness Judges of elegance and taste consider themselves as benefactors to the human race, whilst they are really only the interrupters of their pleasure ... There is no taste which deserves the epithet good, unless it be the taste for such employments which, to the pleasure actually produced by them, conjoin some contingent or future utility: there is no taste which deserves to be characterized as bad, unless it be a taste for some occupation which has mischievous tendency. Jeremy Bentham employmentracejudging How is property given? By restraining liberty; that is, by taking it away so far as necessary for the purpose. How is your house made yours? By debarring every one else from the liberty of entering it without your leave. Jeremy Bentham libertypurposehouse Unkind language is sure to produce the fruits of unkindness--that is, suffering in the bosom of others. Jeremy Bentham fruitlanguagesuffering As to the evil which results from censorship, it is impossible to measure it, because it is impossible to tell where it ends. Jeremy Bentham censorshipevilimpossible The age we live in is a busy age; in which knowledge is rapidly advancing towards perfection. Jeremy Bentham perfectionagebusy The word "independence" is united to the accessory ideas of dignity and virtue. The word "dependence" is united to the ideas of inferiority and corruption. Jeremy Bentham accessoriesindependenceideas There is no pestilence in a state like a zeal for religion, independent of morality. Jeremy Bentham pestilenceatheismindependent A civilized society must count animals as worthy of moral consideration and ethical treatment. The question is not, Can they reason? nor Can they talk? but, Can they suffer? Jeremy Bentham moralsufferinganimal We may scatter the seeds of courtesy and kindness about us at little expense. Some of them will fall on good ground, and grow up into benevolence in the minds of others, and all of them will bear fruit of happiness in the bosom whence they spring. Jeremy Bentham growing-upkindnessspring Without publicity, no good is permanent; under the auspices of publicity, no evil can continue. Jeremy Bentham publicitygovernmentevil The request of industry to government is as modest as that of Diogenes to Alexander: Get out of my light. Jeremy Bentham modestgovernmentlight He who thinks and thinks for himself, will always have a claim to thanks; it is no matter whether it be right or wrong, so as it be explicit. If it is right, it will serve as a guide to direct; if wrong, as a beacon to warn. Jeremy Bentham thanksmatterthinking Lawyers are the only persons in whom ignorance of the law is not punished. Jeremy Bentham ignorancelawfeet Lawsuits generally originate with the obstinate and the ignorant, but they do not end with them; and that lawyer was right who left all his money to the support of an asylum for fools and lunatics, saying that from such he got it, and to such he would bequeath it. Jeremy Bentham ignorantsupportasylums
