Despite these obstacles, much of the modern study of politics is scientific in approach. Yet for over 2,000 years, political theorists carried on their work, aided only occasionally by systematic observation or measurement of political affairs. Generally they accepted rather simple assumptions about the nature of human political and social instinct and deduce from them theories about how political systems ......... function. For example, the political philosopher Jeremy Bentham(1748-1832) made the sweeping assumption that nature has placed mankind under the governance (or control) of two masters - pain and pleasure. This was the basis for Bentham's entire theory of politics. He proposed to organise a country's laws and institutions so that they placed the general good, the greatest possible amount of happiness in society above each person's individual pleasure.