This article explores the connection between Bernard Mandeville and Jeremy Bentham. Their analyses are complementary on two points: first, the descriptive sense of the utility principle, main axiom of Bentham's utilitarianism, relies on an implicit anthropological conception which Mandeville explains in detail. Second, the latter's great lesson is that “private vices by the dextrous management of a skillful politician may be turned into public benefits”. Bentham's art of legislation allows understanding of “the dextrous management and knowing” “who the skillful politician is”. Furthermore, Mandeville accounts for the emergence of the legislator, central figure in his theory as well as in Bentham's because it guarantees social cohesion.
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Article provided by Universidad de Antioquia, Departamento de Economía in its journal LECTURAS DE ECONOMÍA.
Volume (Year): (2004) Issue (Month): 61 (Julio-Diciembre) Pages: 71-99 Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML
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