Utilitarianism, a moral philosophy that advocates for actions that promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number, was founded by Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century. Bentham's principles emphasized the quantification of happiness and the calculation of pleasure versus pain in ethical decision-making. He believed laws and actions should be judged based on their outcomes, which laid the groundwork for later utilitarians like John Stuart Mill. Mill expanded upon Bentham's ideas, introducing qualitative distinctions in pleasures, arguing that intellectual and moral pleasures were superior to mere physical ones. Utilitarianism had a profound influence on modern ethical and political thought.