ipl-logo

Punishment Vs Classicism

1322 Words6 Pages

Compare and Contrast classicist and positivist offender behaviour

Criminology is defined by Sutherland and Cressey (1992) as “the body of knowledge regarding crime and delinquency as social phenomena. It includes within its scope, the processes of making laws, breaking laws and reacting to the breaking of laws.” A simple way to interpret this would be ‘the scientific study of crime and criminals’. Punishment for crime is believed to have been around ever since the eleventh century when people would be burnt at the stake. According to Wilhelm (1910) in the Catholic encyclopedia “the burning of heretics was first decreed in the eleventh century”. Heresy is an unacceptable religious belief. This is an extreme example of historical variation …show more content…

Newburn (2009) himself describes classicism as “the assumption that the criminal is someone exercising free will and rationality.” This is linked to the rational choice theory in which the individual will weigh out the positives and negatives of the offending behaviour and choose the decision that provides them with the greatest benefit. Another word for this is utilitarianism. Secondly, hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. This is the extreme desire for one achieve the greatest amount of pleasure available. Thirdly, punishment, the way in which crime is prevented by punishments being in place to deter criminals from offender behaviour. A way in which we deter crime in today's society is by using situational crime prevention. This means changing environmental factors so the situation of crime does not occur, such as, using CCTV cameras, better lighting in dark alleys and car parks and employing figures of authority to monitor areas vulnerable to criminal activity. Fourthly, human rights. Before classicism, punishments were more extreme, for example being burnt alive because of your religious beliefs etc.. and although punishments during the enlightenment period are still somewhat considered drastic compared to today, they were reduced in severity massively due to Cesare Beccaria. And finally, due process. This was a way for possible offenders to still be given their legal rights, this meant they were innocent until proven

Show More
Related
990 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, Jacoby highlights the reduction in criminal sentences, if any. As a result of this insights “crime is out of control.” Jacoby continues by arguing how expensive the new practices are compared to the puritans. Additionally, Jacoby comes to an agreement that certain puritan practices are nothing less than torture. Therefore, he implies “why not sentence at least some criminals – say, thieves and drunk drivers – to a public whipping.”

Read More
656 Words | 3 Pages

How did crime and punishment change from 1000-1450? (12 Marks) In this essay I will be explaining how crime and punishment changed over the time period of 1000 to 1450, which inolves many contributing events and factors. These factors will be explored and presented in this essay. The question asked is an open-ended question, and I am aware of the length of an answer a question such as this may merit.

Read More
490 Words | 2 Pages

Crime and Punishment in the Elizabethan Era In the Elizabethan Era there was a lot of punishments for the crimes that people did. There were some punishments that people can live through, and there were some punishments that could lead people to death. During this time people just could not kill somebody and just go to prison, you will go down in painful and sometimes slow death.

Read More
1783 Words | 8 Pages

This allowed a change in the criminal procedure and allows a puritanical way of punishing those that commit an offense to society. Now a day’s people in our society do not know one another, making it easier for the criminal justice system to work and have harsher punishments for those within the

Read More
973 Words | 4 Pages

This essay will mention some of the crimes and punishments; it will also explain the differences between the medieval times and the modern times. Crime Crimes for people to commit in the Medieval times was easier for people to commit than. Most of the crimes were very so unnecessary that even lighting a fire can cause big times. Some of the crimes committed in the Medieval times were Theft which means to steal something from another person, Arson which means to light fire in public, Witchcraft means to practise magic such as black magic and a use of spells, Heresay/blasphemy means disrespect towards god because in the Medieval times they looked up to god a lot and they would make big discussions by asking god in a way people would not know. Treason which is traitor to the crown (king), Vagrancy means homelessness which in the medieval times was very common for people that work or the king such as peasants.

Read More
1982 Words | 8 Pages

Very soon after the implementation of ideas from the Classical School did governments discover one fault with the idea. The Classical School of Criminology did not address the mens rea (intent) of someone’s actions. For example, Beccaria didn’t care if one murdered their brother out of cold blood or if, while sparring with one another, one hit their brother too hard and they died due to brain damage. Either way, the punishment for fratricide needed to be carried out the exact same. Seeing the problem with this, the United States and

Read More
1275 Words | 6 Pages

When thinking about the criminal justice system, people tend to think about police officers, prisons, parole, or trials, but these things were not always implemented as they are today. A man by the man of Cesare Beccaria is to thank for having influence on the criminal justice reform across the Western world, as he took into account the cruel and not up-to-date laws. In 1764 Beccaria wrote On Crimes and Punishment, which explains how governmental policies need to incorporate utilitarianism, the greatest good for the greatest number, meaning that the higher-ups cannot look out for their own selfish interests. He spoke out at the current system deeming that the unreasonable punishments bestowed upon offenders was excessive, and that the laws

Read More
1620 Words | 7 Pages

If you lived in the 1800 this is what it would have been like. Especially if you are lower class or colored. This is a point in my essay where I tell you about all the things about crime and punishment that you might not have ever heard….. The topics that will be in this essay is going to be the impact of the media, the relation that the economic and race had on the punishment,

Read More
2645 Words | 11 Pages

In proposing reforms to Virginia’s criminal law, Thomas Jefferson adopted this spirit of pragmatism when he wrote: “Punishments I know are necessary and I would provide them, strict and inflexible but proportioned to the crime.” (Preyer

Read More
619 Words | 3 Pages

Criminology P3 Classicist theory Cesare Beccaria in the 18th century stated that any punishments given to offenders should be suitable for the type of crime they committed, equal for the rich and poor otherwise worse crimes could be committed if excessively harsh punishments are used for something relatively small. He theorized that an individual is smart enough to decide against offending, that we humans can distinguish between what’s right and wrong in society, therefore everyone should make a rational decision. Positivist theories Positivist theories rejected the classicist beliefs, mainly criticising them for being unable to describe what motivates the crimes and then take steps to control it. Positivists do not take into account factors

Read More
992 Words | 4 Pages

The attractiveness of this theory is primarily based on the ethical code that Hampton subscribes to, which is that pain-inflicted punishments should not be condoned when it comes to disciplining wrongdoers. Rather, constructive analysis done pertaining to why certain actions are morally wrong in society would be intellectually stimulating and productive for both the wrongdoers and the public, all while avoiding the infliction of physical pain. Compared to the retributivist argument, which circulates around the idea that the purpose of punishment is to make wrongdoers pay for their misdeeds, and that they should be treated the way that they have treated others, the MET is a more humane way to treat wrongdoers, and in the long run, would perhaps help them emerge from confinement as better citizens within society, rather than as potential repeat offenders. Therefore, the appeal of the MET stems from the positive implications of treating wrongdoers with respect and dignity, all while teaching them why their actions were wrong while simultaneously instilling positive and moral values in their psyche before allowing them to re-enter

Read More
879 Words | 4 Pages

While we prefer life in jail, they preferred death. To conclude, a significant extent of the nature of crime and punishment changed between social classes and over the years since the Medieval Period. This is seen through the significant groups that were involved in medieval crime and punishment, the effects of a person’s social class on crime and punishment, the sort of crime each punishment was used for and the difference between crime and punishments between the Medieval Period and today. The Medieval Period lasted from 476 CE to 1453 CE, with different punishments for each crime committed by different social

Read More
255 Words | 2 Pages

Classical criminologists rejected severe punishments; instead they suggested that punishments

Read More
898 Words | 4 Pages

Classical sociological theory arose in the nineteenth century, in the aftermath of the American and French Revolutions and during the Industrial Revolution. Summarize how the theories of Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim, and Max Weber all reflect a concern for the consequences of modern life. Sociology was prominent in the nineteenth century, especially after the time of the American and French Revolutions and during the industrial revolutions of the world. Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim, and Max Weber are but a few names attributed with playing a role in the development of sociology in the 1800’s. With each of their theories having such extensive ranges of application, the sociologists can easily be accredited with fueling the ideologies of revolutionaries

Read More
1048 Words | 5 Pages

There is a worldwide trend in the use of penal imprisonment for serious offenses as capital punishment has been renounced by an increasing number of countries. Harsh punishments include capital punishment, life imprisonment and long-term incarceration. These forms of punishments are usually used against serious crimes that are seen as unethical, such as murder, assault and robbery. Many people believe that harsher punishments are more effective as they deter would-be criminals and ensure justice is served. Opposition towards harsh punishments have argued that harsher punishments does not necessarily increase effectiveness because they do not have a deterrent effect, do not decrease recidivism rates and do not provide rehabilitation.

Read More

More about Punishment Vs Classicism

Related Topics

Open Document