The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham

The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham is a monumental academic undertaking, currently under production by the Bentham Project at University College London, with Oxford University Press as the publisher. When complete, it will be the most authoritative and comprehensive edition of Jeremy Bentham’s entire literary output. This project is crucial because the previously available “Works of Jeremy Bentham” (1838–1843), edited by John Bowring, was incomplete and contained many inaccuracies, notably omitting Bentham’s writings on religion.

The Collected Works encompasses two main sequences: his extensive Correspondence (letters to and from Bentham) and his numerous Works (writings intended for publication, many of which remained in manuscript form at his death). These volumes present Bentham’s ideas on a vast array of subjects, including:

• Utilitarianism: His foundational ethical principle of “the greatest happiness of the greatest number,” explored in works like An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation.
• Legal and Constitutional Reform: His critiques of existing legal systems, advocacy for codification, and detailed proposals for constitutional government, such as his Constitutional Code.
• Social Reform: His ideas on prison reform (most famously the Panopticon), education (e.g., Chrestomathia), poor laws, and public administration.
• Political Economy, Ethics, and Logic: His contributions to these fields, often intertwined with his legislative and reformist aims.

The project began publishing volumes in 1968, and as of 2024, over 35 volumes have been released, with a projected total of around 80 volumes. The meticulous editorial process involves transcribing thousands of Bentham’s often challenging manuscripts, many of which are now accessible through the “Transcribe Bentham” crowdsourcing initiative. This ongoing scholarly effort ensures that Bentham’s profound and wide-ranging contributions to philosophy, law, and social thought are made fully accessible and accurately represented for future generations of scholars and the general public.