zoom_in Click to enlarge

A Fragment on Government

▲ ▼

description A Fragment on Government Overview

A Fragment on Government is a political and legal work published by Jeremy Bentham in 1776. Written as a critique of passages in William Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England, it rejects appeals to inherited authority when they cannot be tested by their effects. Bentham uses the principle of utility, meaning the promotion of overall well being, as a standard for evaluating laws and institutions. The work is an early statement of his utilitarian approach to legal reform.

help A Fragment on Government FAQ

What is Jeremy Bentham arguing against in A Fragment on Government?

Bentham attacks the uncritical appeal to inherited political authority, especially the idea that existing government deserves obedience simply because it exists. He tests political institutions by their practical effects, an approach associated with utilitarian reasoning.

How does A Fragment on Government respond to William Blackstone?

The pamphlet was written as a critique of passages in Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England. Bentham disputes Blackstone's presentation of English law as a body of inherited wisdom that should not be judged by consequences.

When was A Fragment on Government published?

It was published in 1776, the same year as the American Declaration of Independence. The work belongs to Bentham's early assault on traditional legal and constitutional arguments.

Is A Fragment on Government a legal textbook?

No, it is a polemical political and legal pamphlet rather than a neutral textbook. Bentham uses criticism of English constitutional theory to ask whether laws and institutions actually promote public welfare.

swap_horiz

Looking for A Fragment on Government alternatives? Compare top competitors ranked & scored

arrow_forward