| Description |
xii, 442 pages ; 23 cm |
| Contents |
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 |
| Summary |
"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 offered by is 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."--BOOK JACKET |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 315-424) and index |
| Subject |
Bentham, Jeremy, 1748-1832.
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Dumont, Etienne, 1759-1829.
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Political science -- France -- History -- 18th century.
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Political scientists -- France.
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| SUBJECT |
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Influence.
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85051332
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| LC no. |
2008016138 |
| ISBN |
0230554229 (hbk. : alk. paper) |
|
9780230554221 (hbk. : alk. paper) |
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