In this first full historical account of the political thought of Jeremy Bentham, Philip Schofield shows how Bentham's insights in the fields of logic and language led to the first defence of democracy from a utilitarian perspective, and to the creation of the philosophic radicals, dedicated to political, legal, ecclesiastical, and social reform.

• 1: Real and Fictitious Entities


• 2: The Principle of Utility


• 3: Natural Law and Natural Rights


• 4: The French Revolution


• 5: The Emergence of Sinister Interest


• 6: Parliamentary Reform


• 7: The Church


• 8: Colonies and Constitutional Law


• 9: Codification, Constitutional Law, and Republicanism


• 10: Publicity, Responsibility, and the Architecture of Government


• 11: The Antidote to Sinister Interest: Official Aptitude


• 12: The Politics of Law Reform


• 13: Last Things


• Bibliography


• Index