THE RATIONALE OF REWARD by Bentham Jeremy - 1825

London: John and H. L. Hunt, 1825. First English Edition, the work having originally been printed in French as part of the compilation, "Théorie des Peines et des Récompenses." With the errata slip in the rear. Originally published in French in a collection in 1811. 8vo, original boards, uncut and rebacked in period cloth retaining the original spine label. A very attractive copy with just a little light spotting. FIRST EDITION OF AN EARLY WORK, by a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law, and a political radical who advocated individual and economic freedoms, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women, the right to divorce, and the decriminalizing of homosexual acts. He called for the abolition of slavery, capital punishment and physical punishment, including that of children. He was also an early advocate of animal rights.
In THE RATIONALE OF REWARD Bentham proposes the creation of prizes to encourage research and invention, and advocates that grants for Patents should be free at least till such time that the inventor had made some money on his invention; at the time patent fees were substantial.