Classicism: choice and control

Modernity and the (European) Enlightenment:

• 16th century - Portestant Reformation
• 17th centruy - Scientific Revolution
• 18th century - Philosophical Enlightenment 
• 19th century - Industrial Revolotion 

• Classicism is a product of philosophical enlightenment.
• Critque of old regime and irrational features of much of the institutions of society, including, crucially for the beginnings of criminology, the criminal justice system. 
• for a discussion of the influence of enlightenment thinking about crime and justice.
• LOOK AT CARRABINE ET AL. 

• the 'bloody code' - execution
• arbirary, disproportionate, punishments.
• extensive use of capital and corporal punishment.
• transportation
• retribution 

Cesare Beccaria: (1764)

"The end of punishment, is no other, than to prevent the criminal from doing further injury to society, and prevent others to committing the like offence" 

• Pain and suffereing as a natural part of human condition
• human beings are rational
• our will and we are free to choose out human behaviour (supernatural (religious, beliefes etc) and natural forces can influence our human will) 
• principle way of controlingbehaviour is through fear - fear of pain or punishment.
• fear means humans wil make the right choices.
• state has the right to punish behaviour, but should do so through an organised, rational system which included the centralisation of enforcement, courts, and penal practices.

1) Cerainty (all offenders are punished) 

2) Celebrity - Cime ---- swiftness ---- punishment 

3) Severity (proportionate)

1) Cerainty (all offenders are punished) 

2) Celebrity - Cime ---- swiftness ---- punishment 

3) Severity (proportionate)

"nature has placed mankind under the governance of 2 sovereign masters, pain and pleasure."

"its from them alone to point out what we ought to do, as well as determine what we shall do/" 

Panopticon 1791: 

"new moder of obtaining power of mind over mind"

• all individuals are equal, free-willed and rational actors driven by hedonism (pleasure-pain principle)
• criminals are those who rationally calculate the costs and benefits of offending;
• such calculations need to be deterred through the certainty, speed and severity of punishment.
• punishment should be proportionate to the offence
• only particular offences should be punished not offender (individuals are punished for what thy do not for who they are)

• all individuals are equal, free-willed and rational actors driven by hedonism (pleasure-pain principle)
• criminals are those who rationally calculate the costs and benefits of offending;
• such calculations need to be deterred through the certainty, speed and severity of punishment.
• punishment should be proportionate to the offence
• only particular offences should be punished not offender (individuals are punished for what thy do not for who they are)

• end of indeterminate sentencing
• truth in sentencing 
• death penalty

Foundations of modern criminal justice systems: 

• basis for principles of criminal law
• abolition of capital and corporal punishment and establishment of the penitentiary (prison) 

development of contemporary crime prevention:

• situational crime prevention
• - preventive technologies
• countering rational choices about the risk, effort and reward of offending (Clarke 1980) 

+ supply of motivated offender.

+ presence of suitable targets.

+ absence of capable guardians

= Crime 

Cohen and Felson, 1979

• A more effective means of disciplining subordinate classes and social groups in more industrialised societies. 
• influence on the institutional architecture of social control in everyday life. 
• history of progressive enlightenment. 

• offenders are rational actorswhoes calculations to offend can be shaped by alterationg in certainty, speed and severity of punishment. 
• all crime if rational action. 
• high focus of the hedonistic calculus (but should this be genrealised to all types of offending? 
• can it be falsified? depends on whether objective notion of rationality can be agreed and measures.
• majoy criticism of classicism is that it is a normative rather than empirical or 'scientific' theory premised on values rather than evidence.