The sovereign power of making laws should be wielded, not to guarantee the selfish desires of individuals, but consciously to secure the common good. Critically examine this statement of Bentham.

According to Bentham 'a law' may be defined as an assemblage of signs, declarative of volition, conceived or adopted by a sovereign in a state, concerning the conduct to be observed in a certain case by a certain person or a class of persons, who in the case in question are or are supposed to be subject to his power. Bentham claimed that nature has placed man under the command of two sovereigns - pain and pleasure. 'Pleasure' in Bentham's theory has a somewhat large signification, including altruistic and obligatory conduct, the 'principle of benevolence'; while his idea of 'interest' was anything promoting pleasure. The function of laws should be to bring about the maximum happiness of each individual for the happiness of each will result in the happiness of all. The justification for having laws is that they are an important means of ensuring happiness of the members of community generally. Hence, the sovereign power of making laws should be wielded, not to guarantee the selfish desires of individuals, but consciously to secure the common good.