Jeremy Bentham on Physical Disability: A Problem for Whom?
Main Article Content
Keywords
Bentham, Sex, Hierarchy
Abstract
This paper examines Bentham’s provision for indigent people with disabilities, to reveal the discourse within which he constructs the problem of disability. Bentham’s analysis reifies and institutionalizes such people, but also demonstrates insight into the social nature of “disability,” in a way that anticipates both the strengths and weaknesses of the social model of disability.
References
Abberley, P. (1998). The spectre at the feast: Disabled people and social theory. In T. Shakespeare (Ed.), The disability reader: Social science perspectives (pp. 79–93). London: Cassell.
Andrews, D. (1991).Two medical charities in eighteenth century London: The Lock Hospital and the Lying-in Charity for Married Women. In J. Barry and C. Jones (Eds.), Medicine and charity before the Welfare State (pp. 82–97). London and New York: Routledge.
Barnes, C. (1998). The Social Model of Disability: A sociological phenomenon ignored by sociologists? In T. Shakespeare (Ed.), The disability reader: Social science perspectives (pp. 65–78). London: Cassell.
Bentham, J. (n.d.) University College London Manuscript Collection, boxes UC i–clxxvi.
Bentham, J. (1838). Of the Levelling System. In The works of Jeremy Bentham, now first collected; Under the superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring, 11 vols., 1838–43 (vol. i, 358–364). Edinburgh: William Tait.
Bentham, J. (1983). Deontology together with A Table of the Springs of Action and The Article on Utilitarianism (A. Goldworth, Ed.). Oxford University Press.
Bentham, J. (1996). An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation (J. H. Burns & H. L. A. Hart, Eds.). Oxford University Press.
Bentham, J. (2001). Writings on the Poor Laws: I (M. Quinn, Ed.). Oxford University Press.
Bentham, J. (2010). Writings on the Poor Laws: II (M. Quinn, Ed.). Oxford University Press.
De Renzi, S. (2004). Policies of health: Diseases, poverty and hospitals. In P. Elmer (Ed.), The healing arts: Health, disease and society in Europe, 1500–1800 (pp. 136–65). Manchester University Press.
Foucault, M. (1973). The Birth of the clinic: An archaeology of medical perception. London: Tavistock Publications.
Hughes, B. (2007). Being disabled: Towards a critical social ontology for disability studies. Disability & Society, 22, 673–684.
Hughes, B., & Patterson, K. (1997). The social model of disability and the disappearance of the body: Towards a sociology of impairment. Disability & Society, 12, 325–340.
Hunt, P. (1966). A Critical Condition. In P. Hunt (Ed.), Stigma: the experience of disability (pp. 145–159). London: Geoffrey Chapman.
Jenner, M. (2004). Environment, health and population. In P. Elmer (Ed.) The healing arts: Health, disease and society in Europe, 1500–1800 (pp. 284–314). Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Jones, C. (1996). The construction of the hospital patient in early modern France. In N. Finzsch & R. Jutte (Eds.), Institutions of confinement: Hospitals, asylums, and prisons in Western Europe and North America, 1500–1950 (pp. 55–74). Cambridge University Press.
Kohrman, M. (2005). Bodies of Difference: Experiences of disability and institutional advocacy in the making of modern China. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Kuhse, H. & Singer P. (1985). Should the baby live?: The problem of handicapped infants. Oxford University Press.
Lawrence, S. (1996). Charitable knowledge: Hospital pupils and practitioners in Eighteenth Century London. Cambridge University Press.
More, T. (1965). Utopia (P. Turner, Trans.). Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Morris, J. (Ed.). (1996). Encounters with strangers: Feminism and disability. London: Women’s Press.
Oliver, M. (1990). The Politics of Disablement. Basingstoke & London: MacMillan.
Risse, G. B. (1996). Before the clinic was “born.” In N. Finzsch & R. Jutte (Eds.), Institutions of confinement: Hospitals, asylums, and prisons in Western Europe and North America, 1500–1950 (pp. 75–96). Cambridge University Press.
Rose, N. (1994). Medicine, history and the present. In C. Jones and R. Porter (Eds.), Reassessing Foucault: Power, medicine and the body (pp. 48–72). London and New York: Routledge.
Semple, J. (1993). Bentham’s Prison: A Study of the Panopticon Penitentiary. Oxford University Press.
Shakespeare, T., Gillespie-Sells, K., and Davies, D. (1996). The sexual politics of disability. London: Cassell.
Shakespeare, T., & Watson, N. (1997). Defending the Social Model. Disability & Society, 12, 293–330.
Shakespeare, T., & Watson, N. (2002). The social model of disability: An outdated ideology? Research in Social Science and Disability, 2, 9–28.
Shuttleworth, R. P. (2004). Disability and difference. In C. R. Ember & M. Ember (Eds.), Encyclopedia of medical anthropology: Health and illness in the world’s cultures (pp. 360–373). New York: Springer.
Singer, P. (1994). Rethinking life & death. Oxford University Press.
Spierenburg, P. (1996). Four centuries of prison history: Punishment, suffering, the body, and power. In N. Finzsch & R. Jutte (Eds.), Institutions of confinement: Hospitals, asylums, and prisons in Western Europe and North America, 1500–1950 (pp. 17–35). Cambridge University Press.
Stone, D. (1985). The disabled state. Basingstoke and London: MacMillian.
Tregaskis, C. (2002). Social Model Theory: The story so far.... Disability & Society, 17, 457–470.
Vernon, A. (1996). Fighting two different battles: Unity is preferable to enmity. Disability & Society, 11, 285–290.
Vernon, A. (1999). The dialectics of multiple identities and the Disabled People’s Movement. Disability & Society, 14, 385–398.
Wolff, J. (2002). Addressing disadvantage and the human good. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 19, 207–218.
World Health Organization (WHO), (1980). International classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps. Geneva: author.
Andrews, D. (1991).Two medical charities in eighteenth century London: The Lock Hospital and the Lying-in Charity for Married Women. In J. Barry and C. Jones (Eds.), Medicine and charity before the Welfare State (pp. 82–97). London and New York: Routledge.
Barnes, C. (1998). The Social Model of Disability: A sociological phenomenon ignored by sociologists? In T. Shakespeare (Ed.), The disability reader: Social science perspectives (pp. 65–78). London: Cassell.
Bentham, J. (n.d.) University College London Manuscript Collection, boxes UC i–clxxvi.
Bentham, J. (1838). Of the Levelling System. In The works of Jeremy Bentham, now first collected; Under the superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring, 11 vols., 1838–43 (vol. i, 358–364). Edinburgh: William Tait.
Bentham, J. (1983). Deontology together with A Table of the Springs of Action and The Article on Utilitarianism (A. Goldworth, Ed.). Oxford University Press.
Bentham, J. (1996). An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation (J. H. Burns & H. L. A. Hart, Eds.). Oxford University Press.
Bentham, J. (2001). Writings on the Poor Laws: I (M. Quinn, Ed.). Oxford University Press.
Bentham, J. (2010). Writings on the Poor Laws: II (M. Quinn, Ed.). Oxford University Press.
De Renzi, S. (2004). Policies of health: Diseases, poverty and hospitals. In P. Elmer (Ed.), The healing arts: Health, disease and society in Europe, 1500–1800 (pp. 136–65). Manchester University Press.
Foucault, M. (1973). The Birth of the clinic: An archaeology of medical perception. London: Tavistock Publications.
Hughes, B. (2007). Being disabled: Towards a critical social ontology for disability studies. Disability & Society, 22, 673–684.
Hughes, B., & Patterson, K. (1997). The social model of disability and the disappearance of the body: Towards a sociology of impairment. Disability & Society, 12, 325–340.
Hunt, P. (1966). A Critical Condition. In P. Hunt (Ed.), Stigma: the experience of disability (pp. 145–159). London: Geoffrey Chapman.
Jenner, M. (2004). Environment, health and population. In P. Elmer (Ed.) The healing arts: Health, disease and society in Europe, 1500–1800 (pp. 284–314). Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Jones, C. (1996). The construction of the hospital patient in early modern France. In N. Finzsch & R. Jutte (Eds.), Institutions of confinement: Hospitals, asylums, and prisons in Western Europe and North America, 1500–1950 (pp. 55–74). Cambridge University Press.
Kohrman, M. (2005). Bodies of Difference: Experiences of disability and institutional advocacy in the making of modern China. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Kuhse, H. & Singer P. (1985). Should the baby live?: The problem of handicapped infants. Oxford University Press.
Lawrence, S. (1996). Charitable knowledge: Hospital pupils and practitioners in Eighteenth Century London. Cambridge University Press.
More, T. (1965). Utopia (P. Turner, Trans.). Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Morris, J. (Ed.). (1996). Encounters with strangers: Feminism and disability. London: Women’s Press.
Oliver, M. (1990). The Politics of Disablement. Basingstoke & London: MacMillan.
Risse, G. B. (1996). Before the clinic was “born.” In N. Finzsch & R. Jutte (Eds.), Institutions of confinement: Hospitals, asylums, and prisons in Western Europe and North America, 1500–1950 (pp. 75–96). Cambridge University Press.
Rose, N. (1994). Medicine, history and the present. In C. Jones and R. Porter (Eds.), Reassessing Foucault: Power, medicine and the body (pp. 48–72). London and New York: Routledge.
Semple, J. (1993). Bentham’s Prison: A Study of the Panopticon Penitentiary. Oxford University Press.
Shakespeare, T., Gillespie-Sells, K., and Davies, D. (1996). The sexual politics of disability. London: Cassell.
Shakespeare, T., & Watson, N. (1997). Defending the Social Model. Disability & Society, 12, 293–330.
Shakespeare, T., & Watson, N. (2002). The social model of disability: An outdated ideology? Research in Social Science and Disability, 2, 9–28.
Shuttleworth, R. P. (2004). Disability and difference. In C. R. Ember & M. Ember (Eds.), Encyclopedia of medical anthropology: Health and illness in the world’s cultures (pp. 360–373). New York: Springer.
Singer, P. (1994). Rethinking life & death. Oxford University Press.
Spierenburg, P. (1996). Four centuries of prison history: Punishment, suffering, the body, and power. In N. Finzsch & R. Jutte (Eds.), Institutions of confinement: Hospitals, asylums, and prisons in Western Europe and North America, 1500–1950 (pp. 17–35). Cambridge University Press.
Stone, D. (1985). The disabled state. Basingstoke and London: MacMillian.
Tregaskis, C. (2002). Social Model Theory: The story so far.... Disability & Society, 17, 457–470.
Vernon, A. (1996). Fighting two different battles: Unity is preferable to enmity. Disability & Society, 11, 285–290.
Vernon, A. (1999). The dialectics of multiple identities and the Disabled People’s Movement. Disability & Society, 14, 385–398.
Wolff, J. (2002). Addressing disadvantage and the human good. Journal of Applied Philosophy, 19, 207–218.
World Health Organization (WHO), (1980). International classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps. Geneva: author.
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Published
Oct 13, 2014
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Research Articles and Essays
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Author Biography
Michael Quinn, Senior Research Associate, Bentham Project, University College London
Michael Quinn is a Senior Research Associate at the Bentham Project at University College London, and has recently completed editing Bentham's Writings on the Poor Laws, 2 volumes, Oxford University Press, 2001 & 2009. He is currently editing Bentham's writings on political economy.