The French Revolution and the Creation of Benthamism

This book offers a completely fresh approach to the study of one the most important ideologies in the modern world. It contains fresh insights into the French Revolution and an explanation of the connection between Bentham's Panopticon and his utilitarianism. The first study of how Genevan Etienne Dumont, and his traumatic experience of the French Revolution, shaped the reception and presentation of 'Benthamism' and masked the true face of Jeremy Bentham, one of the architects of modern society who visualized a new world based on the values of transparency, accountability, and economy Contents 8 Acknowledgements 10 List of Abbreviations 13 Introduction 14 1 Utilitarianism and Panopticism: The Umbilical Cord 29 I: Panopticon: The Puzzle 30 II: Panopticon: The Reality 45 III: Dumont the Mythmaker 56 2 Panopticon Dominates Bentham’s Existence 61 I: The origins and ethos of Panopticon 61 II: Bentham the entrepreneur 69 III: Defeat is in the air 97 3 The Creator of the Bentham Brand: (1) Dumont the Genevan 108 I: Eighteenth-century Geneva: Nationalists versus aristocrats 109 II: Rousseau: Icon of Genevan nationalism 115 III: From Protestantism to 'virtuism' 128 IV: Dumont’s youth and disillusioned departure from Geneva 133 4 The Creator of the Bentham Brand: (2) Dumont in the French Revolution 145 I: Mirabeau 145 II: The Revolution begins 160 III: The Declaration of Rights 173 IV: Dumont tires of the Revolution 184 V: Dumont and Mirabeau: the last act 190 5 The Creator of the Bentham Brand: (3) First Steps in Marketing 194 I: Dumont’s early abstracts of Bentham 194 II: Panopticon and Political Tactics 207 6 Dumont’s Goodbye to Revolution: 1791–1793 213 I: Genevan interlude 213 II: First Parisian interlude 215 III: Talleyrand in London 216 IV: Second Parisian interlude 218 V: The Groenvelt Letters and Dumont’s conversion to utilitarianism 223 VI: The September massacres 232 VII: In power in Geneva 234 7 Theory of Legislation (1): The Gestation of the Traités, 1793–1802 246 I: Dumont starts work on Bentham’s manuscripts 246 II: 1799: The writing of the Souvenirs 255 III: The publication of the Traités 257 8 Theory of Legislation (2): The Message of the Traités 267 I: Content of the Traités 267 II: Dumont’s agenda in the Traités 296 III: The Code Napoléon: A parallel project 301 9 The Impact of the Traités: Benthamism goes Global 305 I: The impact of the Traités 305 II: Dumont after 1802 313 III: Dumont’s long-term influence in the English-speaking world 320 Conclusion 326 Notes 328 Bibliography 404 Index 438 A 438 B 438 C 440 D 441 E 442 F 443 G 444 H 444 I 445 J 445 K 446 L 446 M 447 N 448 O 449 P 449 Q 451 R 451 S 452 T 453 U 454 V 454 W 454 Y 455 Z 455 The first study of how Genevan Etienne Dumont, and his traumatic experience of the French Revolution, shaped the reception and presentation of 'Benthamism' and masked the true face of Jeremy Bentham, one of the architects of modern society who visualised a new world based on the values of transparency, accountability, and economy. The prevailing view of the English reformer Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) is that he was essentially a moral philosopher and jurist with a penchant for indulging in occasional extravagant and rather mysterious practical projects such as the Panopticon. This book argues that such a view represents a misunderstanding based to a considerable extent on the one-sided view of Bentham presented by his greatest promoter, Etienne Dumont (1759-1829). Dumont's abstracts of Bentham manuscripts published in French in 1802 had a huge influence in the English-speaking world through the translation of part of them under the title Theory of Legislation -- the classic presentation of Benthamism. Dumont's own particular agenda, forged in his traumatic experience of the French Revolution, prevented him however from taking an interest in the 'other' Bentham presented here for the first time: the entrepreneurial figure who sought in Panopticon to embody, not the Orwellian nightmare of state intrusiveness so often assumed, but the cherished modern values of transparency, accountability and economy in public institutions The prevailing view of the English reformer Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) is that he was essentially a moral philosopher and jurist with a penchant for indulging in occasional extravagant and rather mysterious practical projects such as the Panopticon. This book argues that such a view represents a misunderstanding based to a considerable extent on the one-sided view of Bentham presented by his greatest promoter, Etienne Dumont (1759-1829). Dumont's abstracts of Bentham manuscripts published in French in 1802 had a huge influence in the English-speaking world through the translation of part of them under the title Theory of Legislation - the classic presentation of Benthamism. Dumont's own particular agenda, forged in his traumatic experience of the French Revolution, prevented him however from taking an interest in the 1other2 Bentham presented here for the first time: the entrepreneurial figure who sought in Panopticon to embody, not the Orwellian nightmare of state intrusiveness so often assumed, but the cherished modern values of transparency, accountability and economy in public institutions Utilitarianism And Panopticism : The Umbilical Cord -- Panopticon Dominates Bentham's Existence -- The Creator Of The Bentham Brand : (1) Dumont The Genevan -- The Creator Of The Bentham Brand : (2) Dumont In The French Revolution -- The Creator Of The Bentham Brand : (3) First Steps In Marketing -- Dumont's Goodbye To Revolution, 1791-1793 -- Theory Of Legislation (1) : The Gestation Of The Traités, 1793-1802 -- Theory Of Legislation (2) : The Message Of The Traités -- The Impact Of The Traités : Benthamism Goes Global. Cyprian Blamires. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 315-424) And Index.