Classical Criminology Essay - 1093 Words

Classical Criminology The classical school of criminology was around in the eighteenth century. It came abount in a time when the previous dominent spiritual look at defining crime and criminal behaviour was being challenged by a newer naturalistic approach of the social contract theorists. The classical school was the established ideas of monarchs, fedual lords and the fathers of the church. The main pioneers of the classical school were Cesar Beccaria ( 1738-1974) from Italy and Jeremy Bantham from Britain (1948-1832). From them writing their theories in the eighteenth century they established the essential components of the rational actor model. They both shared the idea that crime and†¦show more content†¦They believed that each one of us is a potential criminal, and that crime provides a short cut way to getting what we need. Responsibility- the classical school believed that if we do something wrong or do something at the expence of someone we should be able to own up and take responsibilty for our own actions. Also they believed that punishment was a good way to show potential offenders what would happen to them if they behaved in a criminal way. They believed that anyone who breaks the law should be punished to pay the price. They thought that the crime and he punishment must be linked. They believed that the punishment should be in proportian to the crime in order for the offender to think about what he has done. for example, if someone is caught steeling 3000 pounds, then he should be made to pay back 4000 pound fine back. Or stay in prison for the same ammount of time that the person would have taken to earn the 3000 pounds. Cesear Beccaria believed that there should be a fixed punishment for crimes written into the law and not be changed. He believed that all people should be trated equally and the punishments should not be changed from person to person. His theory can be summerised into the following 13 propositions (taken from an 2nd edition introduction into criminogical theory by Roger Hopkins Burke). 1) In order to escape social chaos, each member of sociey must sacrificeShow MoreRelatedClassical Criminology And Modern Criminology1412 Words   |  6 PagesClassical criminology is â€Å"usually seen as the first â⠂¬Ëœreal’ criminology† (Tierney,2009), due to its emergence in the eighteenth century, heralded by scholars Jeremey Bentham and Cesare de Beccaria. It is centred on the ‘act’ rather than the ‘offender’, as well as the use of punishment as a deterrence. Yet whilst classical criminology has evolved slightly over time, it’s narrow minded focus on the ‘offence’ rather than the ‘offender’ can result in the overlooking of crucial details that may haveRead MoreClassical Vs. Classical Criminology989 Words   |  4 PagesThe classical criminology school is arguably a controversial phenomena; largely based on their neglect to acknowledge human behaviour as a cause of crime (Morrison 1995). This has led some researchers to argue that classical criminology cannot be considered as a science (Garland 1985). Further, researchers have, however, disputed these claims, arguing that the research provided by classical criminolo gists is useful and has provided a gateway for many criminal justice reforms. In light of this, thisRead MoreThe Classical School Of Criminology935 Words   |  4 Pagesprinciples of the Classical School of Criminology? The major principles in the Classical School of Criminology are that humans are rational and that our behavior comes from free will, and our human behavior is derived from pain and pleasure. To deter criminal’s punishment is necessary, which may set an example for others. As well as crime prevention should be implemented with quick regulated punishment for violations of the law. What were some forerunners of classical thought in criminology? Some forerunnersRead MoreThe Classical School Of Criminology996 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Classical School of Criminology was established. The Classical School of Criminology was founded by Cesare de Baccaria and Jeremy Bentham. The Classical School of Criminology has played a very important role in implementing changes to the criminal punishment system. One of the most significant features of the Classical School of Criminology is its stress on the person as a human being who is competent enough to calculate whether or not they will commit a crime (Lilly, 2011). The Classical SchoolRead MoreThe Classical School Of Criminology1216 Words   |  5 Pagesschools of that are Classical Theory and Biological/Positivist Theory. These theories contain insights to why people commit crimes and the most effective way to deal with these individuals and eventually reduce the crime rate. This paper will discuss how these schools of thought compare to each other, the Christian Worldview and to United States current criminal justice system. The first step to compare these theories is to better understand them. The Classical School of Criminology â€Å"refers to an approachRead MoreThe Classical School Of Criminology1485 Words   |  6 Pages1. Answer the following with respect to classical school of criminology: A. Discuss the historical context of the origins (emergence) of this perspective.   When did it arise?   Was it a response to any previous perspectives? The classical school of criminology is foundationally based upon the history of crime and punishment. Throughout history, crime was dealt with in an extremely harsh and inhumane manner. Criminals and suspected criminals were quartered, burnt at the stake, tortured, and subjectedRead MoreThe Classical School Of Criminology1174 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the Enlightenment period, Cesare Beccaria developed the Classical School of Criminology with help from philosopher Jeremy Bentham. With the similar philosophies of Beccaria and Bentham, the classical theory of criminology was then developed, creating a strict and proportional criminal justice system. Deriving from the Rational Choice Theory, the classical theory of criminology states that rational behavior can be controlled in order to deter criminal activity. This idea comes from the thoughtRead MoreClassical Theory in Criminology1753 Words   |  8 PagesClassical School Classical theory in criminology has its roots in the theories of the 18th century Italian nobleman and economist, Cesare Beccaria and the English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham (Hollin, 2004, 2). It was based on principles of utilitarian philosophy. Cesare Beccaria, author of On Crimes and Punishments (1763–64), Jeremy Bentham, inventor of the panopticon, and other classical school philosophers based their arguments as follows, (1) People have free will to choose how to act (2) DeterrenceRead MoreThe Classical School Of Criminology1327 Words   |  6 Pagesthought are Classical Theory and Biological/Positivist Theory. These theories contain insights into why people commit crimes and the most effective way to deal with these individuals and eventually reduce the crime rate. This paper will discuss how these schools of thought compare to each other, the Christian Worldview and to United States current criminal justice system. The first step to compare these theories is to develop an understanding of them. The Classical School of Criminology â€Å"refers toRead MoreClassical Theory of Criminology Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesCriminology is the study of why individuals engage or commit crimes and the reasons as to why they behave in certain ways in different situations (Hagan, 2010). Through understanding the reasons or why an individual commits a crime, one can come up with ways to prevent and control crime or rehabilitate criminals. There exist a large number of criminology theories, some link crime to an individual or person; they believe a person weighs the cons and pros and makes a conscious decision on whether to