A fragment on Government; being an examination of what is delivered, on the subject of government in general, in the introduction to William Blackstone's commentaries by BENTHAM, Jeremy - 1776

London: T. Payne, P. Elmsly, and E. Brooke, 1776. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 1st Edition. Hardcover. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 8vo (198 x 126 mm). [4], lvii, [3], 208 pp. Including half-title. Bound in 19th-century green cloth, gilt-lettered spine (corners slightly bumbed, some wear to spine ends, extremeties rubbed). Text lightly browned, occasional minor spotting and dust-soiling, some pencil markings at fore margin. Provenance: Columbia College New York (blind stamp on title and p. 1, additional ink stamp "duplicate G.H.B" on title, number stamp to page i). Very good copy. ---- Kress 7191; Goldsmiths 11503; Sabin 25416; PMM 237 (rem.) - RARE FIRST EDITION of "Bentham's first published work, a radical critique of the theoretical foundations of Blackstone's Commentaries and the first statement of the principle of utility underlying Bentham's system of thought. The central idea was to invent laws so that people would act so as to bring about the greatest happiness. Men, that is, acting naturally, would be placed in such a system of regulation and sanctions that, following these natural courses, they would not only satify themselves but also produce the greatest happiness" (New Palgrave I, 226). While Bentham's own ideas were not developed at length, "he none the less gave the first formulation of the principle of utility as the foundation of his system' and some 'indication of the direction of his thought on themes such as sovereignty, the social contract, submission, resistance, and fictions" (ODNB). - Visit our website for additional images and information.