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Why did Jeremy Bentham say that each person should count equally in moral decisions?

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Jeremy Bentham: auto-icon — Utilitarianism English philosopher and economist Jeremy Bentham's preserved skeleton in his own clothes and surmounted by a wax head, at University College London.

Jeremy Bentham, the founder of modern utilitarianism, argued that moral decisions must account for the pleasures and pains of everyone affected on an equal basis, famously stating, "Each to count for one, and none for more than one."1

This principle is rooted in Bentham’s ethical system, which posits that nature governs human beings through two masters: pleasure and pain. Because he defined "right" and "wrong" actions based on their ability to increase or decrease the net surplus of pleasure over pain, he concluded that the interests of all individuals must be weighed impartially to achieve the greatest happiness.12

By insisting on this equality, Bentham sought to reform conventional morality and political institutions, which often favored the interests of the few over the many. His radical approach—which notably extended to nonhuman animals—was intended to ensure that legislation and social policies maximized the happiness of the entire community rather than serving narrow, privileged interests.13