Philosophy News - Jeremy Bentham's Head

[Yazata]

Jeremy Bentham, the 19th century British philosopher (a vehement atheist) who was born in 1748 and died in 1832, and whose will requested that his body be publicly dissected (they did that, the public was invited to watch), stuffed and placed in the lobby of University College London (part of the University of London) to greet visitors, has been reunited with his head.

The body has long been there, seated in a large wooden case dressed in 19th century clothing, but its mummified head was removed since it was thought to be too grotesque. The head on the body in the case is a wax museum model of Bentham's head during life.

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Well, this being the 21'st century, UCL has decided to put Bentham's head on display too. Here it is (the eyes are glass) 

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They say that researchers are going to try to get samples from it in order to look for signs of some condition like Asperger's syndrome. Bentham was a certifiably peculiar guy. (He was a philosopher!)

[Syne]

It's not too grotesque....until you put lifelike glass eyes in it.

[Zinjanthropos]

Bentham was a certifiably peculiar guy. (He was a philosopher!)

 Sometimes I think philosophers get a bad rap.