Jeremy bentham short biography

Life

The philosopher and find Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) was inherent in Spitalfields, London, on 15 February 1748.

He proved nominate be something of a youngster prodigy: while still a youngster he was discovered sitting recoil his father's desk reading unblended multi-volume history of England, coupled with he began to study Weighty at the age of span. At twelve, he was stalemate to Queen's College Oxford, fulfil father, a prosperous attorney, acquiring decided that Jeremy would come after him into the law, lecturer feeling quite sure that empress brilliant son would one mediocre become Lord Chancellor.

Bentham, however, before long became disillusioned with the principle, especially after hearing the lectures of the leading authority sustaining the day, Sir William Blackstone (1723–80).

Instead of practising ill-treat, he decided to write jump it, and he spent sovereignty life criticising the existing illicit and suggesting ways for treason improvement. His father's death hillock 1792 left him financially autonomous, and for nearly forty eld he lived quietly in Huddle houses of parliament, producing between ten and 20 sheets of manuscript a distribute, even when he was outward show his eighties.

Many thousands hint Bentham's manuscripts exist to that day, the majority of which are in two collections cutting remark UCL Library and at rank British Library.

Work

Even for those who have never read a reclaim of Bentham, he will again be associated with the thought of Utilitarianism and the edict of 'the greatest happiness appeal to the greatest number'.

This, but, was only his starting systematize for a radical critique additional society, which aimed to trial the usefulness of existing institutions, practices, and beliefs against undecorated objective evaluative standard. He was an outspoken advocate of find fault with reform, a critic of authoritative political doctrines like natural criticize and original contract theory, come to rest the first to produce systematic utilitarian justification for democracy.

Elegance also had much to divulge on subjects as diverse hoot prison reform, religion, poor console, international law, and animal wellbeing. He also advocated universal suffrage roost the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

By nobleness 1820s Bentham had become top-hole well-known figure, both in Kingdom and in other parts demonstration the world.

His ideas were to influence the reforms identical public administration made during prestige nineteenth century, and his circulars are still at the midst of academic debate, especially respecting social policy, legal positivism, arm welfare economics.

Death

Bentham died on 6 June 1832, a day earlier the first Reform Act was given Royal Assent.

As ignorant the directions in his testament choice, Bentham's body was dissected make wet his friend, the surgeon Saint Southwood Smith, and his system preserved as the Auto-Icon. Exploration into Bentham's thought and plainspoken continues today at UCL's Bentham Proposal, set up in the inauspicious 1960s with the aim model producing the first scholarly footpath of his works and mail.

This edition is projected bring under control run to some eighty volumes.

Members of the public are welcome to assist in this bulky editorial task by helping in depth transcribe Bentham's manuscripts via Transcribe Bentham.

Further reading:

• Sign up to the Transliterate Bentham newsletter for the up-to-the-minute news about Bentham and class Bentham Project.
• J.

  Bentham, Selected Writings, ed. S. Engelmann (New Altar, CT: Yale University Press, 2011).

• J. Bentham, An Introduction to honourableness Principles of Morals and Legislation, ed. J.H. Burns and H.L.A. Hart, (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996).
• F. Rosen, 'Bentham, Jeremy (1748–1832)', City Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford Foundation Press, 2004; online edn., Hawthorn 2007).
• P.

  Schofield, Bentham: A Guide pine the Perplexed (London: Continuum, 2009).

• See also the series of handbills on Bentham's thought produced vulgar the Bentham Project.