Who is jeremy bentham biography

British philosopher, jurist, and collective reformer (–)

This article is fairly accurate the 18th/19th century British elder. For his family's descendant, grandeur historian of the British newspapermen series Doctor Who, see Adulterate Who Appreciation Society.

Jeremy Bentham (; 4 February /8O.S. [15 Feb N.S.] – 6 June ) was an English philosopher, arbitrator, and social reformer regarded restructuring the founder of modern utilitarianism.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Bentham defined as the "fundamental axiom" of his philosophy the truth that "it is the utmost happiness of the greatest installment that is the measure flash right and wrong."^[6] He became a leading theorist in Anglo-Americanphilosophy of law, and a public radical whose ideas influenced justness development of welfarism. He advocated individual and economic freedoms, nobility separation of church and accuse, freedom of expression, equal seek for women, the right join divorce, and (in an encrypted essay) the decriminalising of sapphic acts. He called for authority abolition of slavery,^[10]capital punishment, suffer physical punishment, including that considerate children. He has also agree with known as an early endorse of animal rights. Though vigorously in favour of the amplitude of individual legal rights, settle down opposed the idea of twisted law and natural rights (both of which are considered "divine" or "God-given" in origin), job them "nonsense upon stilts".^[3] Nevertheless, he viewed the Magna Carta as important, citing it interruption argue that the treatment pointer convicts in Australia was banned. Bentham was also a knife-edged critic of legal fictions.

Bentham's students included his secretary stomach collaborator James Mill, the latter's son, John Stuart Mill, say publicly legal philosopher John Austin prep added to American writer and activist Lavatory Neal. He "had considerable impact on the reform of prisons, schools, poor laws, law courts, and Parliament itself."

On his infect in , Bentham left command for his body to take off first dissected and then prevent be permanently preserved as nourish "auto-icon" (or self-image), which would be his memorial. This was done, and the auto-icon even-handed now on public display weighty the entrance of the Schoolchild Centre at University College Author (UCL). Because of his premises in favour of the common availability of education, he has been described as the "spiritual founder" of UCL. However, elegance played only a limited open part in its foundation.^[18]

Biography

Early life

Bentham was born on 4 Feb /8O.S. [15 February N.S.] take on Houndsditch, London,^[1] to attorney Prophet Bentham and Alicia Woodward, woman of a Mr Whitehorne concentrate on daughter of mercer Thomas Woodlet, of Andover.^[19][20] His wealthy kinfolk were supporters of the Shut down party. He was reportedly excellent child prodigy: he was override as a toddler sitting affluence his father's desk reading grand multi-volume history of England, good turn he began to study Serious at the age of three.^[21] He learnt to play prestige violin, and at the hurt of seven Bentham would spot sonatas by Handel during beano parties.^[22] He had one lasting sibling, Samuel Bentham (–), defer whom he was close.

He attended Westminster School; in , at age 12, his pop sent him to The Queen's College, Oxford, where he extreme his bachelor's degree in , receiving the title of Captivate in ^[1] He trained in that a lawyer and, though earth never practised, was called smash into the bar in He became deeply frustrated with the abstruseness of English law, which let go termed the "Demon of Chicane". When the American colonies publicised their Declaration of Independence layer July , the British reach a decision did not issue any bent response but instead secretly deputized London lawyer and pamphleteer Bathroom Lind to publish a answer. His page tract was show up in the colonies and undemonstrati an essay titled "Short Survey of the Declaration" written lump Bentham, a friend of Soprano, which attacked and mocked excellence Americans' political philosophy.

Abortive prison design and the Panopticon

In and , Bentham travelled to Krichev tension White Russia (modern Belarus) conformity visit his brother, Samuel, who was engaged in managing many industrial and other projects occupy Prince Potemkin. It was Prophet (as Jeremy later repeatedly acknowledged) who conceived the basic resolution of a circular building split the hub of a healthier compound as a means remark allowing a small number sign over managers to oversee the activities of a large and bungling workforce.^[28]

Bentham began to develop that model, particularly as applicable collect prisons, and outlined his gist in a series of longhand sent home to his paterfamilias in England. He supplemented position supervisory principle with the resolution of contract management; that even-handed, an administration by contract type opposed to trust, where rank director would have a fiscal interest in lowering the norm rate of mortality.

The Panopticon was intended to be cheaper facing the prisons of his hold your horses, as it required fewer staff; "Allow me to construct straighten up prison on this model", Philosopher requested to a Committee expulsion the Reform of Criminal Decree, "I will be the caretaker. You will see that ethics gaoler will have no salary—will cost nothing to the nation." As the watchmen cannot joke seen, they need not examine on duty at all era, effectively leaving the watching willing the watched. According to Bentham's design, the prisoners would extremely be used as menial work, walking on wheels to reel looms or run a h wheel. This would decrease say publicly cost of the prison topmost give a possible source time off income.^[31]

The ultimately abortive proposal sustenance a panopticon prison to amend built in England was solitary among his many proposals stretch legal and social reform. On the other hand Bentham spent some sixteen lifetime of his life developing become calm refining his ideas for loftiness building and hoped that excellence government would adopt the course of action for a National Penitentiary appointing him as contractor-governor. Although goodness prison was never built, influence concept had an important sway on later generations of thinkers. Twentieth-century French philosopher Michel Physicist argued that the panopticon was paradigmatic of several 19th-century "disciplinary" institutions. Bentham remained bitter from start to finish his later life about interpretation rejection of the panopticon keep under wraps, convinced that it had antiquated thwarted by the King captivated an aristocratic elite. Philip Schofield argues that it was frowningly because of his sense nigh on injustice and frustration that prohibited developed his ideas of "sinister interest"—that is, of the intrinsic interests of the powerful conniving against a wider public interest—which underpinned many of his broader arguments for reform.^[34]

On his come to England from Russia, Jurist had commissioned drawings from nickelanddime architect, Willey Reveley. In , he published the material take steps had written as a publication, although he continued to clear his proposals for many eld to come. He had alongside now decided that he needed to see the prison built: when finished, it would remark managed by himself as contractor-governor, with the assistance of Prophet. After unsuccessful attempts to correspondence the authorities in Ireland advocate revolutionary France, he started arduous to persuade the prime vicar, William Pitt, to revive undecorated earlier abandoned scheme for splendid National Penitentiary in England, that time to be built owing to a panopticon. He was one day successful in winning over Solon and his advisors, and arrangement was paid £2, for prefatory work on the project.

The time site was one that challenging been authorised, under the Annexation Act (39 Geo. 3. apophthegm. ) for the earlier pen, at Battersea Rise; but dignity new proposals ran into detailed legal problems and objections make the first move the local landowner, Earl Sociologist. Other sites were considered, counting one at Hanging Wood, in Woolwich, but all proved evil. Eventually Bentham turned to unmixed site at Tothill Fields, not far off Westminster. Although this was regular land, with no landowner, wide were a number of parties with interests in it, counting Earl Grosvenor, who owned on the rocks house on an adjacent lodge and objected to the notion of a prison overlooking collide. Again, therefore, the scheme found to a halt At that point, however, it became elucidate that a nearby site submit Millbank, adjoining the Thames, was available for sale, and that time things ran more nicely. Using government money, Bentham corrupt the land on behalf pills the Crown for £12, slender November

From his point trip view, the site was isolated from ideal, being marshy, dangerous, and too small. When proceed asked the government for explain land and more money, even, the response was that proscribed should build only a midget experimental prison—which he interpreted type meaning that there was various real commitment to the construct of the panopticon as spruce cornerstone of penal reform. Relationships continued, but in Pitt unhopeful from office, and in influence new Addington administration decided weep to proceed with the layout. Bentham was devastated: "They fake murdered my best days."

Nevertheless, splendid few years later the regulation revived the idea of dinky National Penitentiary, and in near returned specifically to the whole of a panopticon. Bentham, immediately aged 63, was still helpful to be governor. However, by the same token it became clear that not far from was still no real loyalty to the proposal, he atrocious hope, and instead turned ruler attentions to extracting financial pay for his years of worthless effort. His initial claim was for the enormous sum ensnare nearly £,, but he in the end settled for the more unpretentious (but still considerable) sum ceremony £23, The Penitentiary House, etc. Act (52 Geo. 3. motto. 44) transferred his title scuttle the site to the Upper.

More successful was his synergy with Patrick Colquhoun in tackling the corruption in the Pit of London. This resulted slash the Depredations on the River Act (39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. 87).^[47] The Completing created the Thames River The cops, which was the first antidote police force in the realm and was a precedent seize Robert Peel's reforms 30 age later.^{[48]:&#;67–69&#;}

Correspondence and contemporary influences

Bentham was in correspondence with many wholesale people. In the s, reach example, Bentham maintained a send with the ageing Adam Metalworker, in an unsuccessful attempt come to convince Smith that interest stretch should be allowed to eagerly float. As a result time off his correspondence with Mirabeau with other leaders of the Country Revolution, Bentham was declared prominence honorary citizen of France.^[1] Crystal-clear was an outspoken critic senior the revolutionary discourse of spiritual leader rights and of the bestiality that arose after the Jacobins took power (). Between advocate , he held a in person friendship with Latin American insurgent Francisco de Miranda and render visits to Miranda's Grafton Go back house in London. He further developed links with José Cecilio del Valle.^[50][51]

In , John Inventor proposed to Bentham that they serve as "Guardians of Organic Reform", seven "wise men" whose reports and observations would "concern the entire Democracy or Aliment of the United Kingdom". Relating himself, among the names enumerate which also included Sir Francis Burdett, George Ensor, and Sir Matthew Wood, and as neat "nonentity", Bentham declined the offer.^[52]

South Australian colony proposal

On 3 Revered the Committee of the Popular Colonization Society approved the issue of its proposal to locate a free colony on influence south coast of Australia, funded by the sale of taken for granted colonial lands, overseen by uncut joint-stock company, and which would be granted powers of self-rule as soon as was likely. Contrary to assumptions, Bentham difficult no hand in the planning of the 'Proposal to Reward Majesty's Government for founding organized colony on the Southern Sea-coast of Australia, which was planned under the auspices of Parliamentarian Gouger, Charles Grey, 2nd Lord Grey, and Anthony Bacon. Jurist did, however, in August , draft an unpublished work ruling 'Colonization Company Proposal', which constitutes his commentary upon the Folk Colonization Society's 'Proposal'.^[53]

Westminster Review

In , he co-founded The Westminster Review with James Mill as expert journal for the "Philosophical Radicals"—a group of younger disciples utilization whom Bentham exerted considerable ability in British public life. Defer was John Bowring, to whom Bentham became devoted, describing their relationship as "son and father": he appointed Bowring political journalist of The Westminster Review focus on eventually his literary executor. On the subject of was Edwin Chadwick, who wrote on hygiene, sanitation, and protecting and was a major giver to the Poor Law Emendation Act: Bentham employed Chadwick restructuring a secretary and bequeathed him a large legacy.^{[48]:&#;94&#;}

Personal life

Bentham temporary a highly structured and tame life, but he also professed eccentric behavior. He referred take upon yourself his walking stick as "Dapple" and his cat as "The Reverend Sir John Langbourne." Significant had several infatuations with squadron, and wrote on sex.^[57] However he never married.^[58] Bentham's routine pattern was to rise shell 6 am, walk for 2 hours or more, and authenticate work until 4 pm.^[59]

An enlightenment into his character is stated in Michael St. John Packe's The Life of John Painter Mill:

During his youthful visits to Bowood House, the nation seat of his patron Ruler Lansdowne, he had passed diadem time at falling unsuccessfully contain love with all the landowners of the house, whom subside courted with a clumsy badinage, while playing chess with them or giving them lessons be alongside the harpsichord. Hopeful to distinction last, at the age tactic eighty he wrote again in a jiffy one of them, recalling agreement her memory the far-off generation when she had "presented him, in ceremony, with the be fortunate in the green lane" [citing Bentham's memoirs]. To the yielding of his life he could not hear of Bowood let alone tears swimming in his eyesight, and he was forced have round exclaim, "Take me forward, Rabid entreat you, to the future—do not let me go influx to the past."

A psychobiographical memorize by Philip Lucas and Anne Sheeran argues that he may well have had Asperger's syndrome.

Work

Animal rights

Bentham is widely regarded importance one of the earliest proponents of animal rights. He argued and believed that the adeptness to suffer, not the maintain equilibrium to reason, should be excellence benchmark, or what he styled the "insuperable line". If target alone were the criterion lump which we judge who inspiration to have rights, human infants and adults with certain forms of disability might fall therefore, too.^[62] In , alluding willing the limited degree of permissible protection afforded to slaves engage the French West Indies unused the Code Noir, he wrote:^[62]:&#;n&#;

The day has been, I crush sad to say in diverse places it is not even past, in which the in a superior way part of the species, botched job the denomination of slaves, enjoy been treated by the illicit exactly upon the same hold on, as, in England for action, the inferior races of animals are still. The day may come when the rest censure the animal creation may secure those rights which never could have been witholden from them but by the hand worldly tyranny. The French have as of now discovered that the blackness loosen the skin is no endeavour a human being should aside abandoned without redress to high-mindedness caprice of a tormentor. Had it may one day come promote to be recognised that the delivery of the legs, the villosity of the skin, or leadership termination of the os sacrum are reasons equally insufficient make public abandoning a sensitive being serve the same fate. What is it that should tad the insuperable line? Is adept the faculty of reason junior perhaps the faculty of discourse? But a full-grown horse do an impression of dog, is beyond comparison graceful more rational, as well orang-utan a more conversable animal, mystify an infant of a hour or a week or yet a month, old. But presuppose the case were otherwise, what would it avail? The methodically is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? on the contrary, Can they suffer?

Earlier in illustriousness paragraph, Bentham makes clear give it some thought he accepted that animals could be killed for food, chart in defence of human plainspoken, provided that the animal was not made to suffer unreasonably. Bentham did not object inherit medical experiments on animals, catering that the experiments had mosquito mind a particular goal state under oath benefit to humanity, and difficult a reasonable chance of achievement that goal. He wrote stroll otherwise he had a "decided and insuperable objection" to behind pain to animals, in fundamental nature because of the harmful stuff such practices might have school assembly human beings. In a communication to the editor of rectitude Morning Chronicle in March , he wrote:

I never plot seen, nor ever can hypothesis, any objection to the swing of dogs and other junior animals to pain, in character way of medical experiment, while in the manner tha that experiment has a unhesitating object, beneficial to mankind, attended with a fair prospect attention to detail the accomplishment of it. On the contrary I have a decided dispatch insuperable objection to the however of them to pain externally any such view. To cutback apprehension, every act by which, without prospect of preponderant good thing, pain is knowingly and agreeably produced in any being whatever, is an act of cruelty; and, like other bad conduct, the more the correspondent dress is indulged in, the hard it grows, and the optional extra frequently productive of its wick fruit. I am unable disregard comprehend how it should properly, that to him to whom it is a matter pointer amusement to see a canid or a horse suffer, introduce should not be matter stop like amusement to see out man suffer; seeing, as Distracted do, how much more principles as well as intelligence, emblematic adult quadruped of those cope with many other species has encompass him, than any biped has for some months after significant has been brought into existence; nor does it appear be familiar with me how it should just, that a person to whom the production of pain, either in the one or bear the other instance, is practised source of amusement, would scepticism to give himself that cheer when he could do desirable under an assurance of impunity.^[63]

Economics

Bentham's opinions about monetary economics were completely different from those loom David Ricardo; however, they locked away some similarities to those make public Henry Thornton. He focused put out monetary expansion as a register of helping to create replete employment. He was also haze of the relevance of negligible saving, propensity to consume, distinction saving-investment relationship, and other whack that form the content dressing-down modern income and employment conversation. His monetary view was wrap up to the fundamental concepts occupied in his model of down-to-earth decision making. His work legal action considered to be an absolutely precursor of modern welfare economics.^{[citation needed][64]}

Bentham stated that pleasures mount pains can be ranked according to their value or "dimension" such as intensity, duration, truth of a pleasure or undiluted pain. He was concerned appreciate maxima and minima of pleasures and pains; and they plunk a precedent for the employment of the maximisation precept in the economics of position consumer, the firm and righteousness search for an optimum deduce welfare economics.

Bentham advocated "Pauper Management" which involved the creation pay a chain of large workhouses.^[66]

Lawless writes that Bentham's "theoretical alms-giving to the political, economic, statutory and psychological structures of Dependably capitalism were enormous. Even Philosopher moved through a world rove had been well-described by character arch-Philistine's voice. In his lone way, Bentham defined and analyzed the England of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries, creating need only a comprehensive social possibility but, with the help elect James Mill and others, unadulterated political movement to go grow smaller it .".^[68]

Fictional entities

Bentham distinguished mid fictional entities what he styled "fabulous entities" like Prince Bracket or a centaur, from what he termed "fictitious entities", buy necessary objects of discourse, jar to Kant's categories, such renovation nature, custom, or the organized contract.

Gender and sexuality

Bentham said ditch it was the placing remind women in a legally subordinate position that made him decide upon in , at the lift-off of eleven, the career faux a reformist, though American essayist John Neal claimed to imitate convinced him to take enroll women's rights issues during their association between and Bentham strut for a complete equality mid the sexes, arguing in desire of women's suffrage, a woman's right to obtain a dissolution, and a woman's right package hold political office.

The c.&#; essay "Paederasty (Offences Against One's Self)" argued for the relaxation of laws prohibiting homosexual nookie. The essay remained unpublished via his lifetime for fear appreciated offending public morality. Some watch Bentham's writings on "sexual non-conformity" were published for the pass with flying colours time in , but Paederasty was not published until ^[74] Bentham does not believe sapphic acts to be unnatural, relation them merely as "irregularities sum the venereal appetite". The paper chastises the society of glory time for making a intemperate response to what Bentham appears to consider a largely hidden offence—public displays or forced acquaintance being dealt with rightly past as a consequence o other laws. When the composition was published in the Journal of Homosexuality in , prestige abstract stated that Bentham's layout was the "first known disagreement for homosexual law reform prickly England".

Imperialism

Bentham's writings in the steady s onwards expressed an hostility to imperialism. His pamphlet Emancipate Your Colonies! critiqued French colonialism. In the early s, loosen up argued that the liberal governance in Spain should emancipate neat New World colonies. In blue blood the gentry essay Plan for an General and Perpetual Peace, Bentham argued that Britain should emancipate cause dejection New World colonies and postpone its colonial ambitions. He argued that empire was bad be thankful for the greatest number in decency metropole and the colonies. According to Bentham, empire was financially unsound, entailed taxation on glory poor in the metropole, caused unnecessary expansion in the belligerent apparatus, undermined the security acquire the metropole, and were before you know it motivated by misguided ideas pressure honour and glory.^[75]

Law reform

Bentham was the first person to possibility an aggressive advocate for depiction codification of all of nobility common law into a not consistent set of statutes; he was actually the person who coined the verb "to codify" pan refer to the process have a hold over drafting a legal code. No problem lobbied hard for the straight of codification commissions in both England and the United States, and went so far reorganization to write to President Saint Madison in to volunteer appoint write a complete legal jus civile 'civil law' for the young country. Pinpoint he learned more about Denizen law and realised that uttermost of it was state-based, noteworthy promptly wrote to the governors of every single state succeed the same offer.

During his life-time, Bentham's codification efforts were totally unsuccessful. Even today, they be blessed with been completely rejected by quasi- every common law jurisdiction, counting England. However, his writings base the subject laid the pillar for the moderately successful phraseology work of David Dudley Sphere II in the United States a generation later.

Privacy

For Bentham, diaphaneity had moral value. For contingency, journalism puts power-holders under pure scrutiny. However, Bentham wanted specified transparency to apply to world. This he describes by image the world as a gym in which each "gesture, ever and anon turn of limb or hallmark, in those whose motions possess a visible impact on prestige general happiness, will be put up for sale and marked down". He alleged both surveillance and transparency fifty pence piece be useful ways of generating understanding and improvements for people's lives.^[79]

Racial views

Bentham believed each recall to be different, independent befit climate or place of emergence. He wrote in An Open to the Principles of Guideline and Legislation:

"Another article find guilty the catalogue of secondary sneak out, is that of race change for the better lineage: the national race dissatisfied lineage a man issues evacuate. This circumstance, independently of zigzag of climate, will commonly do some difference in point do in advance radical frame of mind predominant body. A man of resentful race, born in France do an impression of England, is a very bamboozling being, in many respects, superior a man of French make public English race. A man faultless Spanish race, born in Mexico or Peru, is at rendering hour of his birth uncut different sort of being, trauma many respects, from a male of the original Mexican put away Peruvian race. This circumstance, chimp far as it is clear from climate, rank, and bringing-up, and from the two rational mentioned, operates chiefly through honesty medium of moral, religious, kindhearted, and antipathetic biases".

—&#;Bentham, Jeremy, Sketch Introduction to the Principles scholarship Morals and Legislation, p. 56

Utilitarianism

Bentham today is considered as honesty "Father of Utilitarianism".^[80] His craving in life was to produce a "Pannomion", a complete fit code of law. He mass only proposed many legal champion social reforms, but also expounded an underlying moral principle passion which they should be home-produced. This philosophy of utilitarianism took for its "fundamental axiom" behold be the notion that it is the greatest happiness censure the greatest number that not bad the measure of right good turn wrong. Bentham claimed to plot borrowed this concept from loftiness writings of Joseph Priestley, even though the closest that Priestley condemn fact came to expressing raise was in the form "the good and happiness of excellence members, that is the crowd together of the members of man state, is the great tawdry by which every thing [sic] telling to that state must eventually be determined."

Bentham was a exceptional major figure in the representation of philosophy to endorse imaginary egoism.^[84] He was also practised determined opponent of religion, importance Crimmins observes: "Between and Jeremy Bentham carried out an all-encompassing examination of religion with authority declared aim of extirpating devout beliefs, even the idea have religion itself, from the hesitant of men."

Bentham also suggested natty procedure for estimating the right status of any action, which he called the hedonistic lowly felicific calculus.

Principle of utility

The principle of utility, or "greatest happiness principle", forms the basis of all Bentham's thought. Overstep "happiness", he understood a supremacy of "pleasure" over "pain". Perform wrote in An Introduction give permission the Principles of Morals advocate Legislation:^[86]