According to Durkheim, it is neither possible nor desirable for a society to exist in which there is no crime. Durkheim believes that a society exempt from crime was utterly impossible. Durkheim thought that if every person in the society respected every other person in that society, unlawful crime may go away. Durkheim felt, however, if unlawful crime disappears, that offenses normally deemed “bad” would become criminal. Furthermore, Durkheim believed that every human has the propensity to offend their society with behavior deemed unacceptable. Because no person is perfect, minor deviations from the societal norms would result in harsh treatment.
