Jeremy Bentham's Body as Auto-Icon

As specified in his will, the great utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham (he of the 'greatest happiness principle', the 'felicific calculus' and the panopticon prison design), had what was left of him after death (in 1832) displayed in a case - currently in University College London.  At one point his mummified head with glass eyes was on the floor between the legs (it was repeatedly stolen by students, so is no longer there). A reasonably realistic wax head is on the dressed sekeleton, topped with a broad-brimmed hat. He holds his walking stick in his hand and he is seated. Most people know this. But I recently realized I only had a hazy notion of what he was doing by presenting himself as an Auto-Icon (his term). So I looked at the authorative University College London Bentham Project website to get an answer, and was surprised that there is room for speculation about this. Is this a secular momento mori? Or perhaps a macabre kind of statue created by a slightly vain man who was seeking posthumous immortality? Or is there some other more plausible explanation? Is this really not known?

There is an article from 1958 by C.F.A. Marmoy about the Bentham Auto-Icon available here.

 

 

Comments

[Michael]

Intrigued to read in the Marmoy article of 'Warburton's Anatomy Act of 1832'. Any relation?

[Tim Crane]

A good question. What is certainly true is that he was a man of considerable vanity. The document which goes along with the auto-icon contains the phrase 'if it should so happen that my friends and other disciples....'

[virtual philosopher]

Thanks for this Tim. Interesting use of language...'icon' like 'disciples' has a religious meaning. Was Bentham setting himself up as some kind of secular relic?

[Martin]

I have no answers to your questions but have some questions of my own concerning this fascinating auto-icon: where exactly is it located (which building, floor and so on)? And can anyone visiting University College London see it or is it locked away somewhere?