Principles of Legislation: from the MS. of Jeremy Bentham

What it is

This is a printed book presenting Jeremy Bentham's ideas on legislation, taken from his own manuscripts and edited for publication by Étienne Dumont. It was published in 1830, while Bentham was still alive, and includes a biographical sketch of Dumont by Sismondi.

Why it matters

Bentham wrote enormous amounts but rarely finished or published his own works; much of what we know of his thought survives because collaborators like Dumont organized, translated and published it. This book shows how Bentham's ideas about law and utility reached a wide audience through someone else's editing work.

Look closer

• Why might Bentham have relied on an editor to publish his ideas rather than publishing them himself?
• What does it mean for a reader that this text passed through another person's hands before reaching print?
• What subjects does the table of contents suggest mattered most to Bentham?