The curator at UCL, said, “I think Bentham would certainly have approved of his head going on public display. It’s what he intended."
UCLPhilosopher Jeremy Bentham ’s mummified head .
The preserved head of an eccentric eighteenth - hundred British philosopher will be put on showing at University College London and will be test to see if he had autism .
The Daily Mail reportsthat the mummified capitulum of British philosopher Jeremy Bentham , which has been preserved since his dying 185 years ago , will soon be put on display at a University College London art exhibit ennoble “ What does it entail to be human ? ”
UCLPhilosopher Jeremy Bentham’s mummified head.
Bentham had his caput and thorn keep after his death in 1832 , as per his teaching . He bid to have the two display as what he called an “ car - icon , ” a representation of himself after his expiry , so that his friends and admirer would visit after he give-up the ghost .
In his will , Benthaminstructedhis good friend Doctor Southwood Smith to dry up his head and carry on his acantha . However , though Smith was able to dry up Bentham ’s question , he made error in attempting to repeat the head cold gangrene proficiency of the New Zealand Maoris , and in the outgrowth , the skin of the face was pulled taught to the skull and bronze .
This resulted in a keep up head teacher with a atrocious physiognomy . For this reason , Bentham ’s eventual auto - icon , a model of himself sitting in a chair with his actual spine in it , had a wax head affixed to it rather than his dismay skull .
UCLJeremy Bentham ’s “ Auto - Icon ” .
Bentham ’s genuine head was place in a little corner in the same case as hisauto - iconbut was removed after it was the subject of a number of pranks by students . This usually came from UCL ’s rival school , King ’s College London , who even stole the head once in 1975 , and did n’t render it until receiving a ransom .
The head was originally put out for safekeeping by the stave after it was deemed too gruesome for the public .
Now , for this newest art exhibit , Jeremy Bentham ’s head is last going back on presentation after decades of being removed .
Subhadra Das , Curator of Collections at UCL Culture , say , “ I intend Bentham would sure as shooting have approved of his head start on public display . It ’s what he intended . ”
The reemergence of this head also gives scientist and Bentham historians an opportunity to test a much - argufy fact regarding Bentham : whether or not he had autism .
Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher in the late 1700s and early 1800s who pushed for a numeral of values that we would now view as socially reformist . He was a utilitarian philosopher who press for rights for homosexuals and women , as well as widespread instruction for all people .
He establish many organization of law and order , and even co - wrote thebillthat established the first police strength in England .
However due to his eccentricities and modern-day descriptions that say he had “ few comrade his own long time ” and was “ morbidly sensitive , ” many historians now think he may have had autism .
These historian now hope to use modern genetic examination on his mummified headspring to come upon if he has DNA markers associated with autism .
This inquiry , whatever it discovers , will deepen our knowledge about this pivotal British soma and will give us a greater understanding of someone who was pivotal in shaping the club we live in today .
Next , see the side of a 2,000 - class - oldmummified warriorrecently discovered . Then , learn about theJapanese Thelonious Sphere Monk who mummified themselveswhile still live .
