Jeremy Bentham on the theory of organization, management decision-making, public administration, and politics: history and modernity

Abstract

Purpose. Comprehensive study of the views of Jeremy Bentham as the founder of the philosophy of utilitarianism. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been completed: 1) the theory of utilitarianism is considered through the prism of the value of the individual; 2) Benthams ideas on the implementation of management concepts in public administration practice, which served as the basis for modern public policy analysis; 3) Benthams activities in the field of administrative management are considered. Methods. When doing the research, methods of historical-logical, political science and sociological analysis were used. Results. The article reviewed Benthams ideas and work in three areas: organizational theory and decision-making, public policy analysis, and administrative management. From Benthams legacy, his key ideas about public policy analysis and administration, as originally thought have emerged only in the twentieth century, were extracted, and formulated Scientific novelty. Utilitarianism is still a relevant approach to government, social, and organizational decision-making in the modern era. Bentham believed that he had discovered the only moral basis on which governmental, social, and organizational decisions should be made. Such decisions should be based on the idea of achieving the greatest good for the greatest number of people, that is, on the principle of maximum utility. Bentham can rightly be considered a follower of many of the constructive ideas of the French Enlightenment and the intellectual and spiritual godfather of the British welfare state, implemented in practice in the second half of the twentieth century.