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Bentham

by　John　Stuart　Mill





London　and　Westminster　Review；　Aug。　1838；　revised　in　1859　in　Dissertations　and　Discussion；　vol。　1。

　　　　There　are　two　men；　recently　deceased；　to　whom　their　country　is　indebted　not　only　for　the　greater　part　of　the　important　ideas　which　have　been　thrown　into　circulation　among　its　thinking　men　in　their　time；　but　for　a　revolution　in　its　general　modes　of　thought　and　investigation。　These　men；　dissimilar　in　almost　all　else；　agreed　in　being　closet…students　　secluded　in　a　peculiar　degree；　by　circumstances　and　character；　from　the　business　and　intercourse　of　the　world：　and　both　were；　through　a　large　portion　of　their　lives；　regarded　by　those　who　took　the　lead　in　opinion　（when　they　happened　to　hear　of　them）　with　feelings　akin　to　contempt。　But　they　were　destined　to　renew　a　lesson　given　to　mankind　by　every　age；　and　always　disregarded　　to　show　that　speculative　philosophy；　which　to　the　superficial　appears　a　thing　so　remote　from　the　business　of　life　and　the　outward　interests　of　men；　is　in　reality　the　thing　on　earth　which　most　influences　them；　and　in　the　long　run　overbears　every　other　influence　save　those　which　it　must　itself　obey。　The　writers　of　whom　we　speak　have　never　been　read　by　the　multitude；　except　for　the　more　slight　of　their　works；　their　readers　have　been　few。。　but　they　have　been　the　teachers　of　the　teachers；　there　is　hardly　to　be　found　in　England　an　individual　of　any　importance　in　the　world　of　mind；　who　（whatever　opinions　he　may　have　afterwards　adopted）　did　not　first　learn　to　think　from　one　of　these　two；　and　though　their　influences　have　but　begun　to　diffuse　themselves　through　these　intermediate　channels　over　society　at　large；　there　is　already　scarcely　a　publication　of　any　consequence　addressed　to　the　educated　classes；　which；　if　these　persons　had　not　existed；　would　not　have　been　different　from　what　it　is。　These　men　are；　Jeremy　Bentham　and　Samuel　Taylor　Coleridge　　the　two　great　seminal　minds　of　England　in　their　age。　　　　　No　comparison　is　intended　here　between　the　minds　or　influences　of　these　remarkable　men：　this　was　impossible　unless　there　were　first　formed　a　complete　judgment　of　each；　considered　apart。　It　is　our　intention　to　attempt；　on　the　present　occasion；　an　estimate　of　one　of　them；　the　only　one；　a　complete　edition　of　whose　works　is　yet　in　progress；　and　who；　in　the　classification　which　may　be　made　of　all　writers　into　Progressive　and　Conservative；　belongs　to　the　same　division　with　ourselves。　For　although　they　were　far　too　great　men　to　be　correctly　designated　by　either　appellation　exclusively；　yet　in　the　main；　Bentham　was　a　Progressive　philosopher；　Coleridge　a　Conservative　one。　The　influence　of　the　former　has　made　itself　felt　chiefly　on　minds　of　the　Progressive　class；　of　the　latter；　on　those　of　the　Conservative：　and　the　two　systems　of　concentric　circles　which　the　shock　given　by　them　is　spreading　over　the　ocean　of　mind；　have　only　just　begun　to　meet　and　intersect。　The　writings　of　both　contain　severe　lessons　to　their　own　side；　on　many　of　the　errors　and　faults　they　are　addicted　to：　but　to　Bentham　it　was　given　to　discern　more　particularly　those　truths　with　which　existing　doctrines　and　institutions　were　at　variance；　to　Coleridge；　the　neglected　truths　which　lay　in　them。　　　　　A　man　of　great　knowledge　of　the　world；　and　of　the　highest　reputation　for　practical　talent　and　sagacity　among　the　official　men　of　his　time　（himself　no　follower　of　Bentham；　nor　of　any　partial　or　exclusive　school　whatever）　once　said　to　us；　as　the　result　of　his　observation；　that　to　Bentham　more　than　to　any　other　source　might　be　traced　the　questioning　spirit；　the　disposition　to　demand　the　why　of　everything；　which　had　gained　so　much　ground　and　was　producing　such　important　consequences　in　these　times。　The　more　this　assertion　is　examined；　the　more　true　it　will　be　found。　Bentham　has　been　in　this　age　and　country　the　great　questioner　of　things　established。　It　is　by　the　influence　of　the　modes　of　thought　with　which　his　writings　inoculated　a　considerable　number　of　thinking　men；　that　the　yoke　of　authority　has　been　broken；　and　innumerable　opinions；　formerly　received　on　tradition　as　incontestable；　are　put　upon　their　defence；　and　required　to　give　an　account　of　themselves。　Who；　before　Bentham　（whatever　controversies　might　exist　on　points　of　detail）　dared　to　speak　disrespectfully；　in　express　terms；　of　the　British　Constitution；　or　the　English　Law？　He　did　so；　and　his　arguments　and　his　example　together　encouraged　others。　We　do　not　mean　that　his　writings　caused　the　Reform　Bill；　or　that　the　Appropriation　Clause　owns　him　as　its　parent：　the　changes　which　have　been　made；　and　the　greater　changes　which　will　be　made；　in　our　institutions；　are　not　the　work　of　philosophers；　but　of　the　interests　and　instincts　of　large　portions　of　society　recently　grown　into　strength。　But　Bentham　gave　voice　to　those　interests　and　instincts：　until　he　spoke　out；　those　who　found　our　institutions　unsuited　to　them　did　not　dare　to　say　so；　did　not　dare　consciously　to　think　so；　they　had　never　heard　the　excellence　of　those　institutions　questioned　by　cultivated　men；　by　men　of　acknowledged　intellect；　and　it　is　not　in　the　nature　of　uninstructed　minds　to　resist　the　united　authority　of　the　instructed。　Bentham　broke　the　spell。　It　was　not　Bentham　by　his　own　writings；　it　was　Bentham　through　the　minds　and　pens　which　those　writings　fed　　through　the　men　in　more　direct　contact　with　the　world；　into　whom　his　spirit　passed。　If　the　superstition　about　ancestorial　wisdom　has　fallen　into　decay；　if　the　public　are　grown　familiar　with　the　idea　that　their　laws　and　institutions　are　in　great　part　not　the　product　of　intellect　and　virtue；　but　of　modern　corruption　grafted　upon　ancient　barbarism；　if　the　hardiest　innovation　is　no　longer　scouted　because　it　is　an　innovation　　establishments　no　longer　considered　sacred　because　they　are　establishments　　it　will　be　found　that　those　who　have　accustomed　the　public　mind　to　these　ideas　have　learnt　them　in　Bentham's　school；　and　that　the　assault　on　ancient　institutions　has　been；　and　is；　carried　on　for　the　most　part　with　his　weapons。　It　matters　not　although　these　thinkers；　or　indeed　thinkers　of　any　description；　have　been　but　scantily　found　among　the　persons　prominently　and　ostensibly　at　the　head　of　the　Reform　movement。　All　movements；　except　directly　revolutionary　ones；　are　headed；　not　by　those　who　originate　them；　but　by　those　who　know　best　how　to　compromise　between　the　old　opinions　and　the　new。　The　father　of　English　innovation　both　in　doctrines　and　in　institutions；　is　Bentham：　he　is　the　great　subversive；　or；　in　the　language　of　continental　philosophers；　the　great　critical；　thinker　of　his　age　and　country。　　　　　We　consider　this；　however；　to　be　not　his　highest　title　to　fame。　Were　this　all；　he　were　only　to　be　ranked　among　the　lowest　order　of　the　potentates　of　mind　　the　negative；　or　destructive　philosophers；　those　who　can　perceive　what　is　false；　but　not　what　is　true；　who　awaken　the　human　mind　to　the　inconsistencies　and　absurdities　of　time…sanctioned　opinions　and　institutions；　but　substitute　nothing　in　the　place　of　what　they　take　away。　We　have　no　desire　to　undervalue　the　services　of　such　persons：　mankind　have　been　deeply　indebted　to　them；　nor　will　there　ever　be　a　lack　of　work　for　them；　in　a　world　in　which　so　many　false　things　are　believed；　in　which　so　many　which　have　been　true；　are　believed　long　after　they　have　ceased　to　be　true。　The　qualities；　however；　which　fit　men　for　perceiving　anomalies；　without　perceiving　the　truths　which　would　rectify　them；　are　not　among　the　rarest　of　endowments。　Courage；　verbal　acuteness；　command　over　the　forms　of　argumentation；　and　a　popular　style；　will　make；　out　of　the　shallowest　man；　with　a　sufficient　lack　of　reverence；　a　considerable　negative　philosopher。　Such　men　have　never　been　wanting　in　periods　of　culture；　and　the　period　in　which　Bentham　formed　his　early　impressions　was　emphatically　their　reign；　in　proportion　to　its　barrenness　in　the　more　noble　products　of　the　human　mind。　An　age　of　formalism　in　the　Church　and　corruption　in　the　State；　when　the　most　valuable　part　of　the　meaning　of　traditional　doctrines　had　faded　from　the　minds　even　of　those　who　retained　from　habit　a　mechanical　belief　in　them；　was　the　time　to　raise　up　all　kinds　of　sceptical　philosophy。　Accordingly；　France　had　Voltaire；　and　his　school　of　negative　thinkers；　and　England　（or　rather　Scotland）　had　the　profoundest　negative　thinker　on　record；　David　Hume：　a　man；　the　peculiarities　of　whose　mind　qualified　him　to　detect　failure　of　proof；　and　want　of　logical　consistency；　at　a　depth　which　French　sceptics；　with　their　comparatively　feeble　powers　of　analysis　and　abstractions　stop　far　short　of；　and　which　German　subtlety　alone　could　thoroughly　appreciate；　or　hope　to　rival。　　　　　If　Bentham　had　merely　continued　the　work　of　Hume；　he　would　scarcely　have　been　heard　of　in　philosophy。　for　he　was　far　inferior　to　Hume　in　Hume's　qualities；　and　was　in　no　respect　fitted　to　excel　as　a　metaphysician。　We　must　not　look　for　subtlety；　or　the　power　of　recondite　analysis；　among　his　intellectual　characteristics。　In　the　former　quality；　few　great　thinkers　have　ever　been　so　deficient；　and　to　find　the　latter；　in　any　considerable　measure；　in　a　mind　acknowledging　any　kindred　with　his；　we　must　have　recourse　to　the　late　Mr。　Mill　　a　man　who　united　the　great　qualities　of　the　metaphysicians　of　the　eighteenth　century；　with　others　of　a　different　complexion；　admirably　qualifying　him　to　complete　and　correct　their　work。　Bentham　had　not　these　peculiar　gifts；　but　he　possessed　others；　not　inferior；　which　were　not　possessed　by　any　of　his　precursors；　which　have　made　him　a　source　of　light　to　a　generation　which　has　far　outgrown　their　influence；　and；　as　we　called　him；　the　chief　subversive　thinker　of　an　age　which　has　long　lost　all　that　they　could　subvert。　　　　　To　speak　of　him　first　as　a　merely　negative　philosopher　　as　one　who　refutes　illogical　arguments；　exposes　sophistry；　detects　contradiction　and　absurdity；　even　in　that　capacity　there　was　a　wide　field　left　vacant　for　him　by　Hume；　and　which　he　has　occupied　to　an　unprecedented　extent；　the　field　of　practical　abuses。　This　was　Bentham's　peculiar　province：　to　this　he　was　called　by　the　whole　bent　of　his　disposition：　to　carry　the　warfare　against　absurdity　into　things　practical。　His　was　an　essentially　practical　mind。　It　was　by　p