Conway Memorial Lecture 2011: Jeremy Bentham - Prophet of Secularism

Philip Schofield, Bentham Project, Faculty of Laws, UCL

Chair: Dr Evan Harris

In this year’s Conway Memorial Lecture, Philip Schofield, Director of the Bentham Project at UCL will be discussing the recently uncovered, almost prophetic writings of philosopher and reformer Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) concerning the teachings of St Paul and the nature of sexuality and morality.

To speak of a secular prophet appears nowadays to be a contradiction in terms. A prophet is usually understood to be a person who, inspired by supernatural agency, speaks on behalf of that agent and predicts the future. But Bentham himself pointed out that the original Greek meaning of the term referred simply to a person who ‘speaks out’, and in a more limited extent to a person who ‘foretells’.

In opposition to the prevailing mores of his day, Bentham proposed that all sexual activity that was consensual—whether with oneself, whether with partners of the same or the opposite sex, whether with partners of different species—should be made free from legislative interference. In the post-Malthusian age, non-prolific modes of sexual activity were rather to be welcomed than condemned. In short, Bentham saw sexual morality as a key battleground in the fight to divorce morality and legislation from the influence of religion. The thousands of manuscripts on homosexuality, Christian teachings and the influence of the church on the state that Bentham was reluctant to publish during his lifetime reveal that his thoughts were certainly well ahead of his time, and seemingly foretell the development of secular attitudes to sexual morality.

This is a remarkable opportunity to hear a world renowned expert discuss one of Britain’s greatest thinkers and will fascinate those interested in secularism, liberalism and the history of ideas.

The annual Conway Memorial Lectures are given in honour of Moncure Conway, the American abolitionist and biographer of Thomas Paine, who also gives his name to Conway Hall. The lectures have been given every year since 1910 and past speakers include many luminaries of the humanist movement and some of the most distinguished philosophers, scientists and cultural commentators of the last century, including Israel Zangwill, Bertrand Russell, Leonard and Julian Huxley, J.B.S Haldane, Jacob Bronowski, James Hemming, Bernard Williams, H.J Blackham, Fenner Brockway, A.J Ayer, Herman Bondi,  David Starkey, A.C Grayling and Steve Jones.

Philip Schofield is Professor of the History of Legal and Political Thought, Director of the Bentham Project and General Editor of the Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham. Chairing the lecture will be Dr Evan Harris, former Liberal Democrat MP, Honorary Associate of the NSS and Vice-President of the BHA.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AS THIS EVENT IS FREE, TICKETS ARE LIMITED TO TWO PER PERSON