About this book
Jeremy Bentham's groundbreaking essay "Offences Against One's Self: Paederasty" stands as one of philosophy's most progressive works on individual liberty and legal reform. Written around 1785 but suppressed for nearly 150 years, this philosophical tract boldly challenges the criminalization of homosexuality at a time when such advocacy was considered dangerous to public morality.
As a leading utilitarian thinker and legal reformer, Bentham argues that laws should serve the greatest happiness for the greatest number—a principle he applies with radical clarity to intimate personal conduct. He questions whether consensual private behavior harms society enough to warrant criminal punishment, laying intellectual groundwork for decriminalization movements that would eventually transform legal systems worldwide.
This essay reveals the mind of an 18th-century radical unafraid to confront established orthodoxy on sexuality, morality, and the proper limits of state power. Bentham's reasoning transcends its historical moment, offering enduring insights into civil liberties, privacy rights, and the relationship between law and personal freedom.
Ideal for students of political philosophy, legal history, and LGBTQ+ studies, this audiobook captures a pivotal intellectual moment when one of history's great minds dared challenge oppressive laws. It's essential listening for anyone interested in how philosophical argument can challenge centuries of legal injustice.
