Bentham.docx

Bentham.docx

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Bentham

BenthambyJohnStuartMillLondonandWestminsterReview,Aug.1838,revisedin1859inDissertationsandDiscussion,vol.1.

Therearetwomen,recentlydeceased,towhomtheircountryisindebtednotonlyforthegreaterpartoftheimportantideaswhichhavebeenthrownintocirculationamongitsthinkingmenintheirtime,butforarevolutioninitsgeneralmodesofthoughtandinvestigation.Thesemen,dissimilarinalmostallelse,agreedinbeingcloset-students--secludedinapeculiardegree,bycircumstancesandcharacter,fromthebusinessandintercourseoftheworld:

andbothwere,throughalargeportionoftheirlives,regardedbythosewhotooktheleadinopinion（whentheyhappenedtohearofthem）withfeelingsakintocontempt.Buttheyweredestinedtorenewalessongiventomankindbyeveryage,andalwaysdisregarded--toshowthatspeculativephilosophy,whichtothesuperficialappearsathingsoremotefromthebusinessoflifeandtheoutwardinterestsofmen,isinrealitythethingonearthwhichmostinfluencesthem,andinthelongrunoverbearseveryotherinfluencesavethosewhichitmustitselfobey.Thewritersofwhomwespeakhaveneverbeenreadbythemultitude;exceptforthemoreslightoftheirworks,theirreadershavebeenfew..buttheyhavebeentheteachersoftheteachers;thereishardlytobefoundinEnglandanindividualofanyimportanceintheworldofmind,who（whateveropinionshemayhaveafterwardsadopted）didnotfirstlearntothinkfromoneofthesetwo;andthoughtheirinfluenceshavebutbeguntodiffusethemselvesthroughtheseintermediatechannelsoversocietyatlarge,thereisalreadyscarcelyapublicationofanyconsequenceaddressedtotheeducatedclasses,which,ifthesepersonshadnotexisted,wouldnothavebeendifferentfromwhatitis.Thesemenare,JeremyBenthamandSamuelTaylorColeridge--thetwogreatseminalmindsofEnglandintheirage.

Nocomparisonisintendedherebetweenthemindsorinfluencesoftheseremarkablemen:

thiswasimpossibleunlesstherewerefirstformedacompletejudgmentofeach,consideredapart.Itisourintentiontoattempt,onthepresentoccasion,anestimateofoneofthem;theonlyone,acompleteeditionofwhoseworksisyetinprogress,andwho,intheclassificationwhichmaybemadeofallwritersintoProgressiveandConservative,belongstothesamedivisionwithourselves.Foralthoughtheywerefartoogreatmentobecorrectlydesignatedbyeitherappellationexclusively,yetinthemain,BenthamwasaProgressivephilosopher,ColeridgeaConservativeone.TheinfluenceoftheformerhasmadeitselffeltchieflyonmindsoftheProgressiveclass;ofthelatter,onthoseoftheConservative:

andthetwosystemsofconcentriccircleswhichtheshockgivenbythemisspreadingovertheoceanofmind,haveonlyjustbeguntomeetandintersect.Thewritingsofbothcontainseverelessonstotheirownside,onmanyoftheerrorsandfaultstheyareaddictedto:

buttoBenthamitwasgiventodiscernmoreparticularlythosetruthswithwhichexistingdoctrinesandinstitutionswereatvariance;toColeridge,theneglectedtruthswhichlayinthem.

Amanofgreatknowledgeoftheworld,andofthehighestreputationforpracticaltalentandsagacityamongtheofficialmenofhistime（himselfnofollowerofBentham,norofanypartialorexclusiveschoolwhatever）oncesaidtous,astheresultofhisobservation,thattoBenthammorethantoanyothersourcemightbetracedthequestioningspirit,thedispositiontodemandthewhyofeverything,whichhadgainedsomuchgroundandwasproducingsuchimportantconsequencesinthesetimes.Themorethisassertionisexamined,themoretrueitwillbefound.

Benthamhasbeeninthisageandcountrythegreatquestionerofthingsestablished.Itisbytheinfluenceofthemodesofthoughtwithwhichhiswritingsinoculatedaconsiderablenumberofthinkingmen,thattheyokeofauthorityhasbeenbroken,andinnumerableopinions,formerlyreceivedontraditionasincontestable,areputupontheirdefence,andrequiredtogiveanaccountofthemselves.Who,beforeBentham（whatevercontroversiesmightexistonpointsofdetail）daredtospeakdisrespectfully,inexpressterms,oftheBritishConstitution,ortheEnglishLaw?

Hedidso;andhisargumentsandhisexampletogetherencouragedothers.WedonotmeanthathiswritingscausedtheReformBill,orthattheAppropriationClauseownshimasitsparent:

thechangeswhichhavebeenmade,andthegreaterchangeswhichwillbemade,inourinstitutions,arenottheworkofphilosophers,butoftheinterestsandinstinctsoflargeportionsofsocietyrecentlygrownintostrength.ButBenthamgavevoicetothoseinterestsandinstincts:

untilhespokeout,thosewhofoundourinstitutionsunsuitedtothemdidnotdaretosayso,didnotdareconsciouslytothinkso;theyhadneverheardtheexcellenceofthoseinstitutionsquestionedbycultivatedmen,bymenofacknowledgedintellect;anditisnotinthenatureofuninstructedmindstoresisttheunitedauthorityoftheinstructed.Benthambrokethespell.ItwasnotBenthambyhisownwritings;itwasBenthamthroughthemindsandpenswhichthosewritingsfed--throughthemeninmoredirectcontactwiththeworld,intowhomhisspiritpassed.Ifthesuperstitionaboutancestorialwisdomhasfallenintodecay;ifthepublicaregrownfamiliarwiththeideathattheirlawsandinstitutionsareingreatpartnottheproductofintellectandvirtue,butofmoderncorruptiongrafteduponancientbarbarism;

ifthehardiestinnovationisnolongerscoutedbecauseitisaninnovation--establishmentsnolongerconsideredsacredbecausetheyareestablishments--itwillbefoundthatthosewhohaveaccustomedthepublicmindtotheseideashavelearnttheminBentham'sschool,andthattheassaultonancientinstitutionshasbeen,andis,carriedonforthemostpartwithhisweapons.

Itmattersnotalthoughthesethinkers,orindeedthinkersofanydescription,havebeenbutscantilyfoundamongthepersonsprominentlyandostensiblyattheheadoftheReformmovement.

Allmovements,exceptdirectlyrevolutionaryones,areheaded,notbythosewhooriginatethem,butbythosewhoknowbesthowtocompromisebetweentheoldopinionsandthenew.ThefatherofEnglishinnovationbothindoctrinesandininstitutions,isBentham:

heisthegreatsubversive,or,inthelanguageofcontinentalphilosophers,thegreatcritical,thinkerofhisageandcountry.

Weconsiderthis,however,tobenothishighesttitletofame.Werethisall,hewereonlytoberankedamongthelowestorderofthepotentatesofmind--thenegative,ordestructivephilosophers;thosewhocanperceivewhatisfalse,butnotwhatistrue;whoawakenthehumanmindtotheinconsistenciesandabsurditiesoftime-sanctionedopinionsandinstitutions,butsubstitutenothingintheplaceofwhattheytakeaway.Wehavenodesiretoundervaluetheservicesofsuchpersons:

mankindhavebeendeeplyindebtedtothem;norwillthereeverbealackofworkforthem,inaworldinwhichsomanyfalsethingsarebelieved,inwhichsomanywhichhavebeentrue,arebelievedlongaftertheyhaveceasedtobetrue.Thequalities,however,whichfitmenforperceivinganomalies,withoutperceivingthetruthswhichwouldrectifythem,arenotamongtherarestofendowments.Courage,verbalacuteness,commandovertheformsofargumentation,andapopularstyle,willmake,outoftheshallowestman,withasufficientlackofreverence,aconsiderablenegativephilosopher.Suchmenhaveneverbeenwantinginperiodsofculture;andtheperiodinwhichBenthamformedhisearlyimpressionswasemphaticallytheirreign,inproportiontoitsbarrennessinthemorenobleproductsofthehumanmind.AnageofformalismintheChurchandcorruptionintheState,whenthemostvaluablepartofthemeaningoftraditionaldoctrineshadfadedfromthemindsevenofthosewhoretainedfromhabitamechanicalbeliefinthem,wasthetimetoraiseupallkindsofscepticalphilosophy.Accordingly,FrancehadVoltaire,andhisschoolofnegativethinkers,andEngland（orratherScotland）hadtheprofoundestnegativethinkeronrecord,DavidHume:

aman,thepeculiaritiesofwhosemindqualifiedhimtodetectfailureofproof,andwantoflogicalconsistency,atadepthwhichFrenchsceptics,withtheircomparativelyfeeblepowersofanalysisandabstractionsstopfarshortof,andwhichGermansubtletyalonecouldthoroughlyappreciate,orhopetorival.

IfBenthamhadmerelycontinuedtheworkofHume,hewouldscarcelyhavebeenheardofinphilosophy.forhewasfarinferiortoHumeinHume'squalities,andwasinnorespectfittedtoexcelasametaphysician.Wemustnotlookforsubtlety,orthepowerofreconditeanalysis,amonghisintellectualcharacteristics.Intheformerquality,fewgreatthinkershaveeverbeensodeficient;andtofindthelatter,inanyconsiderablemeasure,inamindacknowledginganykindredwithhis,wemusthaverecoursetothelateMr.Mill--amanwhounitedthegreatqualitiesofthemetaphysiciansoftheeighteenthcentury,withothersofadifferentcomplexion,admirablyqualifyinghimtocompleteandcorrecttheirwork.

Benthamhadnotthesepeculiargifts;buthepossessedothers,notinferior,whichwerenotpossessedbyanyofhisprecursors;

whichhavemadehimasourceoflighttoagenerationwhichhasfaroutgrowntheirinfluence,and,aswecalledhim,thechiefsubversivethinkerofanagewhichhaslonglostallthattheycouldsubvert.

Tospeakofhimfirstasamerelynegativephilosopher--asonewhorefutesillogicalarguments,exposessophistry,detectscontradictionandabsurdity;eveninthatcapacitytherewasawid