The Classical School Of Criminology

The first theoretical perspectives on crime to be recognized originated around 1764 according to Siegel (2010), with the classical perspective. Founded by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham, the perspective holds that society can deter crime when the consequences of crime are absolute, harsh, and quickly administered. They felt that people choose to commit crime after they considered the positive and negative aspects of the crime, and found that the positives outweigh the consequences. Modern classical theory is called choice theory. This perspective was the major influence on our penal system for the next two hundred years, until late into the 19th century, giving way to positivism and the scientific method of studying human behavior and society. It is from this positivism noted by August Comte, considered the founder of sociology, it is in this last stage that our current classifications of theoretical perspectives on crime have emerged. These theories, grouped into four categories, which are; sociological theories, biological theories, psychological theories, and social-psychological theories, represent different causes of crime. (Siegel, 2010)The first theoretical perspectives on crime to be recognized originated around 1764 according to Siegel (2010), with the classical perspective. Founded by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham, the perspective holds that society can deter crime when the consequences of crime are absolute, harsh, and quickly administered. They felt that

The classical perspective founded by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham; stated that at people choose to commit crime after they considered the pros and cons that could be associated with a crime, and believed that the pros outweighed the cons (Tonry,2014). The theory relied on deterring criminal acts by assuring that the consequences of crime are absolute, harsh, and quickly administered (Tonry,2014).

There are many different aspects of criminal justice policy. One in particular is the different theories of crime and how they affect the criminal justice system. The Classical School of criminology is a theory about evolving from a capital punishment type of view to more humane ways of punishing people. Positivist criminology is maintaining the control of human behavior and criminal behavior. They did this through three different categories of Biological studies, which are five methodologies of crime that were mainly focused on biological theories, Psychological theories, which contains four separate theories, and the Sociological theories, which also includes four different methods of explaining why crime exists. The last theory is

The Classical Theory focuses mainly on the individual and choices. Each individual makes decisions based on cost and benefit. Using Classical Theory, human behavior is explained in terms of the attempt to maximize pleasure and minimize pain (Williams & McShane 2004) and because the basis is for the concept of deterrence.

Classical criminology is a way of looking at rational behaviour and free will. This approach was developed in the 18th century and early 19th century and they intended to establish a clear and legitimate criminal justice system based on equality for all. Positivist criminology is based on the understanding of crime and criminology, and its basic concept is based on the decision of behaviour. There are two types of positivists who seek to explain crimes and misinterpretations: biologics and psychological positivism. The origins of positivism and the two interrelated developments started in the nineteenth century.

Criminology is an interdisciplinary science that gathers and analyzes data on crime and criminal behavior. As I learned about criminology I learned that there are several theories that come along with it. The two theories in criminology that stood out the most to me were social strain theory and rational choice theory. These theories stood out to me because I felt like these were two that I can truly see how the people who developed them came about. Social strain theory was created by Robert Merton in the 1940s. Robert Merton is a very famous sociologist who accomplished a lot throughout his career. He spent a lot of his time studying at Colombia University. He also was the first sociologist that received a National Medal of Science Award. Merton came up with the strain theory as an explanation as to why crime rate was so high. Rational choice theory was created by Ronald Clarke and Derek Cornish. Ronald Clarke was a professor who severed as a dean at the School of Criminal Justice. He was there was longer than a decade. Clarke also had a very successful career. An important and most noted part of his career is him being given the highest award in criminology. The highest awards was the Stockholm Prize in Criminology. Clarke has also written several books and help developed several things in Britain’s government. Cornish worked in the department of social science at London School of Economics. Rational choice theory was created to explain why and how every human who commits a crime is faced with a choice.

Punishment should not be retribution but instead be used as a deterrence. Laws were published and the punishment for breaking the laws as well. Imprisonment in place of capital punishment was also pushed at this time (Torrence, 2016). Three of the main ideas that came from the Classical criminology time was the Rational Choice Theory, Routine Activities Theory, and Deterrence Theory. All three are still used in criminology today (Torrence, 2016).

Classical Criminology was implemented in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. “The most prominent members of this theory were Cesare

“Classical Criminology was developed in the eighteenth century in opposition to the use of extreme and arbitrary punishments. Classical Criminology advocated a rational approach that punishment ought to be imposed only to the extent necessary to ensure a deterrent.” (Rowe, 2012: 191)

Beccaria questioned whether the extreme and tortuous punishments (which often included the death penalty) routinely dished out even had any effect in terms of deterring crime. In his most important works Dei delitti e delle pene, or “On Crimes and Punishments” Beccaria asked:

The Enlightenment Era produced great changes in the way that the public perceived crime. Prior to this time, wrong doings were viewed more as evil intentions or sins. It wasn’t until the Enlightenment era that crime and punishment was viewed differently. Was there an explanation as to why individuals committed criminal acts? Two forms of thinking which differ more than compare were formed. These school of thoughts were known as the Classical School of Criminology and the Positivist School of Criminology.

The focus of this assignment will be on the influence of the Marxist theory in the development of criminology. Marxism is a top-down, structuralist, macro approach which means it is a theory in which those on top question the actions of those on the bottom and where individuals fit in the structure of society, this theory is widely supported. A main talking point in the Marxist theory is capitalism; this is an economic and political system in which a country 's trade and industry are controlled by the private sector for profit, rather than by the state (public sector). Another key talking point in the Marxist theory is that laws benefit the powerful and agencies help control and target blue-collar crime (working-class crime) as opposed to what Marxists refer to as ‘the huge dark side of white-collar crime’ (upper-class/corporate crime). Some main supporters of Marxism are; Lauren Snider, William Chambliss and Hazel Croall. However there are many other theories which challenge the Marxist approach such as; functionalism, labelling theory and Left & Right Realism.

One of the oldest conceptions about the Criminal Justice System and crime emerged out of the eighteenth century, best known as the Classical School of criminology. During this period theorist paved a way for some basic ideas about the operation of the Criminal Justice System and the processing of sentencing. The Classical School was not interested in studying criminals but more focused on lawmaking and the legal process. Best known for their works and were the most influential during this time was philosophers Jeremy Bentham and Cesare Beccaria. The Classical School concept believes that people have the free will in making their own decisions, not based on any prior experiences, and the punishment can be the deterrence part for others. The school saw two forms of deterrence specific and general. Specific is giving an offender the most sever punishment to deter them from repeating. General was applied to show others that a

The Classical School of criminology emerged during the eighteenth century after the European Enlightenment period. It was during this time that law enforcement and laws were disparate and unjust and punishment was brutal. Members of the Classical School would demand justice that based on equality and human punishment that was appropriate for the offense. According to Williams and McShane 2009, the Classical School was uninterested in studying the criminal per se; it gained its association with criminology through its focus on lawmaking and legal processing. The Positive School of criminology focused on explaining and understanding social behavior of criminals. The members of this school used the approach to the study of

Classical Criminology first emerged in the 18th century when individuals started to rebel against the harsh punishments given across Europe and America. Punishments rarely fit the crime and were severe and excessive as a tool to scare individuals from committing crime. Before this, was considered the enlightenment period, which was an era of thinking crime, was solely the product of evil and deserved to be punished severely. Religious views dominated the criminal justice system suggesting criminality was the result of the devil. Punishments were often barbaric and ruthless. Then the feudal system started to develop and individuals were employed as police and judges to maintain social order. However the courts were unjust and usually lenient to those of the upper class. Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794) is probably most well known as the founding father of the school of classical criminology. He protested against the current legal system and pushed for those in power to see that individuals are rational beings and deserve rational repercussions. In his most popular work; Essay on Crimes and Punishments, he protested against the cruel punishments and suggested that they must only be equal to that of the crime itself and revolutionised the criminal justice system with his ideals on how to make the most effective punishment, without maximum damage of the individual. He believed that “Punishment is only justified to the extent that the offender has infringed the rights of others or