It is not surprising that some philosophers, such as Thomas Malthus and Jeremy Bentham, tried to remove emotion from their visions of social reform.

ECONOMIST: English history

To utilitarians such as Jeremy Bentham and J.

ECONOMIST: First principles of justice

With Hard Times (1854) - a critique of the political theory of utilitarianism which holds that the proper course of action is the one that seeks the greatest good for the greatest number of people - Dickens set himself against thinkers like Jeremy Bentham, Thomas Malthus and Adam Smith and their influence on government policy.

BBC: Charles Dickens