ABSTRACT
Between 1811 and 1830, Bentham engaged in extensive correspondence with politicians in many countries, advocating for adopting his codification proposal. He argued that the government should actively seek proposals for codification. In this open proposal competition, Bentham’s codification initiative would have been one of many proposals. He would have had to compete with other codifiers for public recognition and, ultimately, approval from the constituted authority. Bentham’s codification proposal was designed to foster political collaboration between codifiers, domestic political authorities, and social members. In this process, Bentham would have been responsible for the universal part, while local legislators would have played a crucial role in handling the local part. Therefore, it is a misinterpretation to suggest that Bentham’s codification proposal would have suppressed local political culture and social norms. A re-examination of Bentham’s codification proposal and its intricate institutional design will enrich our understanding and assessment of Bentham as a global legislator and his mature political thought.
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Brian Chien-Kang Chen, Jeremy Bentham and Legislators of the World, History of European Ideas. Published online: 3 November 2025.
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