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Mar 5, 2020 · Bentham’s body sat in a mahogany cabinet in the college’s Wilkins Building for more than 150 years. But late last month, UCL curators decided to move the philosopher, or rather his auto-icon...
- Who Was Jeremy Bentham?
- Why Is Bentham's Body on Show?
- What Is His Connection to UCL?
- Where Was Bentham Originally Placed on Display?
- What About His head?
- Where Is Jeremy Bentham Now?
- Why Was He moved?
- What Was The Response?
- Anything Else to Know?
Jeremy Bentham(1748-1832) was a philosopher and political radical, who formulated the theory of utilitarianism, which argues that an action is right if it creates happiness in the greatest number of people, and wrong is if it produces the opposite effect.
In his will, Bentham requested that his body be preserved and fashioned into what he called an "auto-icon", a task which was carried out by his friend, surgeon Thomas Southwood Smith.
Although not directly responsible for the foundation of UCLin 1826 — as is often stated — Bentham was nevertheless very supportive. He believed in equal education for all, one of the university's founding principles. His body was given to the university by Smith in 1850, 18 years after his death.
For decades, Jeremy Bentham's body was on display in a corridor of the Wilkins Buildingat UCL, housed inside a wooden cabinet. The head is made of wax (see below), but the rest of his real skeleton lurks beneath his clothes.
While the skeletal remains and wax head of Bentham remain in the Student Centre, his actual headremains out of public view elsewhere at UCL. The head was once stolen in a prank by students from the rival King's College, and has ever since been kept under lock and key.
The philosopher is now in a much more visible location in the atrium of UCL's Student Centre. In place of the wooden box, he now resides in a fully transparent case.
Christina McGregor, Head of Collections Management at UCL Culture, said in a statement: "Bentham’s new home provides greatly enhanced preservation conditions, better visitor access and a place at the centre of the student community."
While many on social media appear to be pleased with the move, others miss his former home. LSE philosophy professor Michael Otsuka started a Twitter threadabout the Bentham relocation, in which commenters raise a number of objections and opinions. The new display has been described as 'undignified', like a 'department store mannequin', and potenti...
The UCL Student Centre is expected to be Bentham's permanent resting spot. The atrium is open to visitors from 7am-7pm each day. For more information check outUCL.
- Alex Corey
Oct 3, 2017 · (Subadhra Das/Twitter) Jeremy Bentham's body has been on display all this time, but the head was removed. So put us through that part of the story first? There's two aspects to the removal....
Jeremy Bentham (/ ˈ b ɛ n θ ə m /; 4 ... As of 2013, this was the only time that the body of Bentham has been taken to a UCL council meeting. ...
Jeremy Bentham, the founder of modern utilitarianism, died in London on June 6, 1832, at the age of 84. In the last version of his will, dated May 30, one week before his death, Bentham bequeathed his body to his friend Dr. Thomas Southwood Smith, instructing him and Bentham’s executor to arrange for its dissection to benefit medical science.
Bentham did not leave his body to UCL, as it was only given to the College in 1850. For many years the Auto-Icon was displayed in a wooden cabinet in the South Cloisters of the Wilkins Building, but on 20 February 2020 it was relocated to its new case in UCL's Student Centre on Gordon Square.
Mar 19, 2018 · Instead of paying burial fees to the Church and letting his body rot underground, Bentham wanted to put his corpse to public use. In this he was influenced by his friend and protégé Dr. Thomas...
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