Boydell Press Utility, the Benthams and Government, 1760–1832

Demonstrates that the Utilitarianism which underpinned many of the reforms of the British state during the Napoleonic Wars originated not from Jeremy Bentham alone, but also from his brother Samuel, Inspector General of Naval Works, step-brother Charles Abbot, Speaker of the House of Commons and Samuel's wife Mary Sophia. Utilitarianism, "the greatest happiness of the greatest number", is usually associated primarily with Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), who wrote extensively on the subject and who put forward specific policy proposals such as law reform and prison design. However, as this book demonstrates, Jeremy Bentham worked in a family setting alongside other highly influential family members. Diminishing the influence of Jeremy the book shows how the work and interdependence of four family members together made significant contributions to the reform of the British state along Utilitarian lines. The key family members besides Jeremy were his brother Samuel (1757-1831), Inspector General of Naval Works, who brought about huge improvements in Britain's naval dockyards, their step-brother Charles Abbot (1757-1829), Speaker of the House of Commons, who did much to reform Britain's machinery of government, strengthening Treasury control of finance, and setting the highest ethical standards for public employees, and Samuel's wife Mary Sophia (1765-1858), a formidable intellect in her own right who educated the children and ran the Bentham household. Overall, the book reveals the root Utilitarian influences which underpinned many of the reforms of the British state which took place during the Napoleonic Wars, highlighting the immense influence of the wider Bentham family.