Le peuple chez Bentham

Does the principle of utility offer a satisfactory foundation of democracy? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to determine whether and how the principle applies and contributes to the making of the “people”. At first sight, people are “an unassignable indefinite multitude”. Thus the principle cannot be applied to such a multitude. The first task Bentham assigns to political philosophy is to reduce this indefiniteness. The people must become a sum of distinct and defined individuals. But people are not only the object to which the principle is applied, they are also calculating subjects. As active subject people cannot be reduced to a sum of distinct individuals, they remain indeterminate. People exercise indeed their sovereignty as subject of public opinion, and this subject is essentially “unassignable” and “indefinite”. Then it could not be entirely submitted and controlled by government. On the contrary, this is the “tribunal” of public opinion which controls government. Thus Bentham develops an original conception of the condition and exercise of popular sovereignty, which remains relevant to present democracies.