The Theme of Acquisitiveness in Bentham's Political Thought

Because of their scope, Bentham's works deal with many major problems of political theory and practice. Because of the period of time they span, they are also a commentary on significant developments in these fields, including the American and French Revolutions, and developments (in which Bentham played a great part) preceding the Reform Bill of 1832. Most generally, this study, first published in 1991, examines Bentham's claim to be the Newton of the moral world, and will be of interest to students of history and philosophy.

Allison Dube

Introduction: The Need for a Comprehensive Study; 1. The Scientific and Ideological Legacy of Hobbes 2. The Basis of Bentham's Science of Human Motion 3. Expectation and Labour 4. Property 5. Rules in Spontaneous Orders and Organizations 6. "Distributive" Justice in the Spontaneous Order 7. The Totalitarian Trend of Democratic Institutions 8. Panopticon 9. Science, Spontaneity, and Motion in Bentham's System; Bibliography