Bentham and his Buddies

I adore the Philosophical Radicals. If you don't know who they are, or you need a refresher course, you're in the right place! They were a group of Englishmen most inspired and led by Jeremy Bentham, founder of the utilitarian school of ethics. Utilitarianists believe that the ethicality of an action is determined by its effect on overall happiness. Whatever action will (A) make the most people the happiest or (B) make the least people the least unhappy, is the ethical thing to do. 

Around the year 1820, the Philosophical Radicals gave themselves their title. One of this group's strongest tenets is the value of deductive reasoning. They rejected all arguments based on history and custom. Only an argument structured logically from the ground up (root=radical) held any weight to them. In this way, they helped determine the future of philosophy. Skeptical of almost everything, from the church to the military to social convention, they demanded reforms everywhere.

So, basically, these guys were BA. And epic. And all other fantastic terms that could be applied to something so beyond awesome that words pale. Kudos, Bentham, and the like-minded types.