As far as human clay go , the car - icon of Jeremy Bentham is well - traveled . The theoretical account of the British philosopher — comprise of a wax head and a foam body ramp up around his actual skeleton — has been displayed in England , Germany , and latterly at TheMet Breuerin New York City . Bentham ’s in vogue trip-up was a forgetful one , taking him from a circle of wooden boxes at University College London to a drinking glass display Methedrine in the school , but it could be his last move for a while , Atlas Obscurareports .
Bentham has become just as famous for the strange fate of his corpse as for his accomplishments in life . Born in England in 1748 , the philosopher was an outspoken proponent of utilitarianism , or theaxiomthat “ it is the greatest happiness of the slap-up numeral that is the metre of right and incorrect . "
The full extent of his vision was never realized . The method used to bear on his school principal hadghoulish results , so his mummified noggin was store in a mood - controlled room and supervene upon with a wax replication . The trend of transform stagnant body into blank shell also never took off , and Bentham ’s auto - icon remains an unusual person .
When they were n’t on tour , Bentham ’s remains were normally maintain in a box within a box in a side corridor ofUniversity College London , their home plate since 1850 . In February 2020 , the college take the mannequin apart and put it back together for video display at the new pupil center across campus . The fresh semi - permanent location met the correct preservation requirement for light , temperature , and humidity . And inside its new glass case , the auto - icon is understandably gift for passersby to see .
By exhibit him in a prominent daub , the college hopes to fulfill Bentham ’s wish of bringing the most joy to the most people long after his dying . As he pen in one of hisfinal essays : " Of thede mortuis nil nisi bonum[of the dead , talk nothing but good ] , it would be the serious software : it would extract from the dead only that which is good — that which would conduce to the happiness of the living . It would set curiosity in apparent movement — vestal curiosity . "
[ h / tAtlas Obscura ]
