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Jeremy Bentham and Utilitarian Tradition (LAWS0051/LAWS0230)

This module provides a unique opportunity to study the ideas and influence of Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832), the famous jurist, philosopher, and reformer.

Despite concentrating on the thought of one person, the module is surprisingly wide-ranging, since Bentham made significant contributions across a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, history, law, politics, and economics. Bentham’s ideas are related to the social, political, and intellectual context of his own time, and an assessment made of their significance for the contemporary world.  

The module is taught by scholars associated with the Bentham Project, which is currently producing a new authoritative edition of The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham.

Module Syllabus

The syllabus is subject to change: 

  1. ‘Of the farther uses of the dead to the living’: the death and life of Jeremy Bentham 

  1. A Fragment on Government 

  1. The principle of Utility 

  1. Subsistence, Abundance, Security, and Equality: the subordinate ends of utility 

  1. Bentham’s theory of punishment 

  1. Panopticon: Bentham’s prison scheme 

  1. Logic and language 

  1. The French Revolution  

  1. Parliamentary Reform 

  1. Constitutional Code 

  1. Panopticon versus New South Wales: Bentham and criminal transportation 

  1. Colonies and colonization 

  1. Theory of law 

  1. Codification 

  1. Torture and capital punishment 

  1. Political Fallacies 

  1. Religion 

  1. Sexual Morality 

  1. History of utilitarianism 

  1. Contemporary utilitarianism

Recommended Materials

Module reading lists and other module materials will be provided via online module pages, available at the beginning of term once students have enrolled. 

For each seminar, students will be guided through the relevant section of the reading list, and essential and supplementary reading assigned. Each student is expected to read the essential materials, and preferably one or more of the supplementary materials, and be prepared to discuss their thoughts and ideas in class. Students are encouraged to make class presentations and must write one formative essay each term. 

Preliminery Reading

  • J.R. Dinwiddy, Bentham, Oxford Past Masters, Oxford, 1989; also published in J.R. Dinwiddy, Bentham: Selected Writings of John Dinwiddy, ed. W. Twining, Stanford, 2004. 

  • Stephen Engelmann, Selected Writings: Jeremy Bentham, New Haven and London, 2011. 

  • Philip Schofield, Bentham: A Guide for the Perplexed, London, 2009. 

  • There is lots of information and links to resources at the Bentham Project’s website ucl.ac.uk/bentham-project 

Key Information

Module details
Credit value:45 credits (450 learning hours)
Convenor:Dr Tim Causer
Other Teachers:

Professor Philip Schofield 

Dr Chris Riley 

Dr Peter Lythe 

Professor Allison Dube (Mount Royal University, visiting academic at UCL Laws 2024–5) 

Teaching Delivery:20 x 2 Hour Weekly Seminar, Term One and Two
Who may enrol:LLM Students Only
Prerequisites:Not a prerequisite but prior knowledge of public international law is desirable
Must not be taken with:Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian Tradition A (LAWS0052/LAWS0303)
Qualifying module for:LLM in Jurisprudence and Legal Theory; 
LLM in Legal History 
Assessment
Practice Assessment:Opportunity for feedback on one practice essay
Final Assessment:Controlled Condition Exam (100%)