Stee oe eet et ° ° e 2 i v r r é t ( s i t E I 5 ‘ < i 1 : Jers Benton, “Pomopticon” Papers i. de Benton Passer, et it P_ Mack (Hoss Sorte Paggesins, 196%) A Bentham Reader ES Edited by Mary Peter Mack PEGASUS & NEW YORKacts which can be repaired by a simple pecuniary compen. the evil of offences may be almost wholly do imply announced, does not strike the imagination; sd upon before its importance can be perce is not the brilliant society of fashion that ean be in- terested by a formula almost arithmetic in expression. Its offered, states- ‘men, to you! It is yours to judg ‘The science of which the basis has been investigated in this work can be pleasing only (0 elevated souls who are warmed with a passion for the public good. It has no connection with that trickish and subversive kind of politics which prides itself upon clandestine projects, which acquires a glory composed wholly of human misery, sees the prosperity of one nation in the abasement of another, and which mis- takes convulsions of government for conceptions of genius. We are here ‘employed upon the greatest interests of humanity; the art of forming the manners ard the character of nations; of raising to its highest point the security of individuals; and of deriving results equal different forms of government. Such is the object oft and generous; asking only for light; wishing nothing exclusive; and find- ing no means so sure to perpetuate the benefits it confers as to share them with the whole family of nations Panopticon Papers Dp A Note on Panspicon Papers Panopticon was the centrat event of Bentham’s life. He devoted nearly 8 quarter of a century, from 1789 to up to him. His vision Europe, and the wor 1 early days of the enterprise, when he st felt hopeful about it, he playfully described a dream of the Great Dragon who exclaimed, "Be of good cheer: thou shalt thy fame shall go forth amongst the nai Panopticon has at least two hi comical, in the style of Dickens’ tham’s personal story, as he was buffeted fro in and out of bankruptcy, taunted, revi last, exhausted and broken-hearted, is-immediate as its long-range em: im did this adventure in despair affect his thought? How ‘change under this siege of torments? At the botiom of hhe wrote to his stepbrother, Charles Abbot, in 1802, hope is--what Mr, Pitt’s was-to see me die broker 1x, pam,A Benthem Reader ty and misery are the order of the day find me living to his annoyance. Liv- a when am dead, he will not be rid of me.” lavery reformer, tham’s strongest supporters in Ps worse used than Bentham. I have seen the tears fun down the cheeks of that strong-minded man through vexation, at the pressing importunity of creditors, and a ngs, whea, ‘day after Gay, he was begging at the Treasury for what was indeed @ 1 of right. How indignant did I often feel when I saw him thus treated by men infinitely his inferiors! 1 could have extinguished them. soured by it; and I have no dout Iberforce's judgment has always been taken for Here is early Bentham,’men say: Tory, conservative, before ,000 reimbursement paid anguish, and he was there- fortune. From going; during Way Parop- replaced a Prime Miniter, is and 2 Chestomate progres shoo in Put him to conaserble arch Panopticon Papers signed to cope with the crises of the French Wark Suddenly in 1802 he geve up writing on economies entirely, he really had nothing new to say, and therefore he thereafter, é But that did not mean siting back indolenily to brood: he could no mere have done that than stem the tides In ed nce again 0 English lew, and begen in 1802 his monumental Rotionale of Judicial Evidence. As the years went by he became more and moze involved in the more theoretial and arcane parts of his system-logi, language, epistomology, and by 1815 he had also writen Chrestomatkia and 4 Table ofthe Springs of Action. Bentham’ ideas had been stored in embryo in his mind ever since *that wonderful yee,” 1768-69, when he had frst ditcovered. Beccria, Pelcnley, Locke, Helvétius, and the other philsophes. He had been an active democrt atleast since the French Revolution, whose sprit he entered with the highest enthusiasm; it did not take the failure of Panopticon to make him one. It did not even change his ideas on nfonarcky, though it certainly made them more in- tense and cen He begat thnk of te George Is pero ed that George III refused to sign the paper ,000 payment because Lord Spencer, who was lant to see a prison arise on his land, which presumably would the rest of his neighboring property, was a good friend of his, may or may not have been the case; we do not know. But Bentham into curious misapprehensions about the effective sovereign fer of monarchy. In fact, it was becoming less and less powerful Parliament became more so; Bentham was mistaken, Probably this led him further in the direct for the uses of a republic. Why did Bentham’s Panopticon plan fail, despi iamentary legislation had been enacted to authorize it? Why after year drag by with nothing accomplished? Why was George persuaded to sign the final paper? Bentham’s dear astute barrister Sic Sam ac Vame DX ofthe Collet Editon,