Jeremy Bentham English philosopher, economist and legal theorist, founder of utilitarianism Date of Birth: 15.02.1748 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Education
2. Legal Career and Utilitarianism
3. Social Reforms and Legacy
4. Auto-Icon and Anatomical Legacy
5. Political and Ethical Views

Early Life and Education

Jeremy Bentham, the English philosopher, economist, and legal theorist, was born on February 15, 1748, in London to affluent Tory parents. A child prodigy, Bentham was discovered reading multi-volume English history books while barely able to walk. He began studying Latin at age three and shared a close bond with his brother, Samuel, who became a mechanical engineer. Bentham attended Westminster School and, at age 12 in 1760, was sent to The Queen's College, Oxford, where he received degrees in 1763 and 1766.

Legal Career and Utilitarianism

Initially intended for a legal career, Bentham qualified as a barrister in 1769 but never practiced. Disillusioned by England's complex legal system, which he famously termed the "Demon of Chicane," he became disillusioned. In 1823, he co-founded the Westminster Review with James Mill as a platform for "philosophical radicals," a group of his young followers through whom he significantly influenced British public life.

Social Reforms and Legacy

Bentham's influence extended to social welfare policies, with his ideas contributing to the development of welfare programs, such as social security, price subsidies, and free healthcare. He collaborated with writer Edwin Chadwick, who addressed issues of sanitation and police patrol and played a role in the development of the English Poor Laws. Bentham appointed Chadwick as his secretary and bequeathed him a substantial sum upon his death.

Auto-Icon and Anatomical Legacy

Before his passing on June 6, 1832, at the age of 85, Bentham meticulously prepared for the dissection of his body. In his will, he requested that his close friend, physician, and chemist, George Fordyce, perform the autopsy. Another document from 1830 entrusted Thomas Southwood Smith, a physician and sanitary reformer, with the preservation of Bentham's remains. Although Bentham left most of his estate to the London Hospital, it was conditional upon his body being present at all board meetings. Smith's attempt at mummification, inspired by Maori techniques, resulted in an unsatisfactory appearance, leading to the body being clothed, stuffed with hay, and fitted with a wax mask.

Political and Ethical Views

Bentham advocated for individual and economic liberty, the separation of church and state, equal rights for women, divorce rights, and the decriminalization of homosexual acts, which he termed "incorrect voluptuous appetite." He opposed slavery, capital punishment, corporal punishment, and was an early advocate for animal rights. Despite his emphasis on expanding individual legal rights, Bentham rejected the concept of natural law. His calm and amiable demeanor, combined with his provocative ideas, provoked strong reactions, with Karl Marx famously dismissing him as a "genius of bourgeois stupidity."