Jeremy Bentham, The Greatest Happiness of the Greatest Number: Section II. First Principles Enumerated — Human Nature 2

By the principle of self-preference, understand that propensity in human nature, by which, on the occasion of every act he exercises, every human being is led to pursue that line of conduct which, according to his view of the case, taken by him at the moment, will be in the highest degree contributory to his own greatest happiness, whatsoever be the effect of it…

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Jeremy Bentham (1748 to 1832) was a British philosopher and jurist. He is regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism, an ethical philosophy. He is also known for a prison design called the Panopticon, and a passionate defense of usury.