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 BenthamRead
Natural rights is simple nonsense: natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense—nonsense upon stilts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bentham critiques the concept of natural rights as fundamentally flawed and nonsensical.
In this quote, Jeremy Bentham dismisses the notion of natural rights, suggesting that such rights are arbitrary and lack a solid foundation. He argues that labeling certain rights as 'natural' or 'imprescriptible' amounts to empty rhetoric, implying that these ideas are merely theoretical constructs rather than practical realities that can be substantiated or defended. Bentham's perspective emphasizes the importance of legal and societal frameworks over abstract principles that claim inherent validity.
Themes
Natural RightsPhilosophyRhetoricNonsenseLaw
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about human rights, one could reference this quote to argue against the idea of inherent rights.
More from Jeremy Bentham
All quotes →Create all the happiness you are able to create; remove all the misery you are able to remove. Every day will allow you, --will invite you to add something to the pleasure of others, --or to diminish something of their pains.
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Nature has placed mankind under the government of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure... they govern us in all we do, in all we say, in all we think: every effort we can make to throw off our subjection, will serve but to demonstrate and confirm it.
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Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. It is for them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as to determine what we shall do.
Jeremy BenthamRead
It is the greatest good to the greatest number of people which is the measure of right and wrong.
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Tyranny and anarchy are never far apart.
Jeremy BenthamRead
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