Why is Jeremy Bentham considered the founder of modern utilitarianism?

Jeremy Bentham is considered the founder of modern utilitarianism because he transformed the principle of utility into a unified, comprehensive ethical system applied consistently across all areas of life. While earlier thinkers like Francis Hutcheson and David Hume explored utilitarian concepts, Bentham was the first to construct a detailed, systematic framework derived from a single fundamental principle: that nature governs humanity through the two masters of pleasure and pain.12

Bentham’s approach was uniquely radical for his time. He argued that "right" and "wrong" are only meaningful when measured by their tendency to increase or decrease the net surplus of pleasure over pain for everyone affected. Crucially, he insisted that "each to count for one, and none for more than one," a principle he extended to nonhuman animals. By using this doctrine as an ideological foundation for philosophical radicalism, Bentham sought not to justify conventional morality, but to reform legislation, the legal code, and social institutions to maximize the happiness of the entire community.312