It's a conventional view now, but Bentham was so far ahead of his time Bentham was "ahead of his time" only because his intellectual descendants triumphed. If,

It's a conventional view now, but Bentham was so far ahead of his time Bentham was "ahead of his time" only because his intellectual descendants triumphed. If, e.g., the Nazis had won WWII, 19th-century anti-Semites would have appeared "ahead of their time". In other words, it's wrong to equate "being ahead of your time" with "being righteous". Bentham was also wrong about sodomy being harmless, at least regarding anal sex. Among other things, anal intercourse causes loose sphincters in its recipients and is far more effective at spreading sexually transmitted diseases than vaginal intercourse. (This is a Humean is, though—a matter of fact. It doesn't necessarily justify banning the practice. That's a Humean ought—a matter of opinion.)