Cesare Beccaria And Becker's Theory And The Classical Approach To Crime

Great Essays
The study of crime and its various components have always been treated as the interdisciplinary studies. Though its predominance is highly concentrated among criminologists and sociologists, but even psychologists and political scientists have been actively involved in various aspects of crime. However, Economists are considered as the novice entrants. It was only after the work of Gary Backer in 1968 that started the post modern economists’ work on crime and criminal justice. Since then it has generated a growing flurry of articles on crime from the various economic perspectives.
However, the classical approach to crime was given by Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham in late 1700s. They borrowed the concepts of free will to make any choices that enables them to pursue their interests and applied it in the realm of crime. They argued that people freely choose to offend. According to the classical approach, people’s decisions to offend are usually guided
…show more content…
They only commit crime when the expected gains exceed the expected costs, or else they refrain themselves from all such criminal activities. Becker’s theory incorporates the existence of criminal justice system as part of their expected costs to be borne and police influence as the probability of punishment and fines representing the criminal sanction. Hence, Becker believed that the probability of getting caught has more deterrent effect on criminals than the term of punishment. Criminals act as rational, purposive actors who try to maximize their utility within the constraints. It is one of most profound but simple insights given by Becker.
This idea of crime and criminal acts is what we know as ‘Neoclassical or Economic approach’ to crime today. As mentioned above, people choose criminal over non-criminal alternatives in the same way as they choose some economic activities over other in the market

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Introduction “He who does not prevent a crime when he can, encourages it”, a quote from Lucius Annaeus Seneca that helps describe how society views and “prevents” crime. Criminal theories attempt to construct views on how to prevent and fight crime but often the criminal justice system is working against society. The two theories that are explained within are the social learning theory and rational choice theory. These theories will construct views as to how and why the seven crimes are committed using the concepts within the theories.…

    • 2208 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Realism In Crime

    • 1544 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Matthews (1987) finds that, "Since the search for causes is often dismissed, the 'solution ' to the problem of crime is to be found, it is argued, in the adoption of more repressive and intensive forms of punishment.” (377). The reasoning behind this theory is by enforcing harsher punishments; it will deter people from committing the crimes. Public fear of crime…

    • 1544 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why do people commit crimes? The answer to that question reflects the complexity of human beings. Multiple theories have been devised with the intention of untangling the sophisticated nature of criminal mind. Beccaria (1764) in his “On Crime and Punishments” essay argues that as a result of our egoistic nature “no man ever freely sacrificed a portion of his personal liberty merely in behalf of the common good” (p. 277).…

    • 133 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The two classical writers were focusing on the reform of the legal and penal procedures rather than explaining criminal behavior. In the process, the two came up with a theory that has huge relevance in today’s criminology. The drive of the classical writers was to change the prevailing law systems, penalties and courts in European countries since they were marred by whimsical and biased decisions. The common feature was use of torturous procedures to get confessions and cruel punishments such as mutilation, inappropriate whipping and public hanging (Jeffery, 1959). They aimed to establish a better and fairer system in the legal and judicial sector.…

    • 1445 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Major Crime Theorists

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The criminals according to the classical theory posses the same attributes as normal individuals. However, the rational theory states that criminals are offenders who commit crime after determining that the pay out is bigger compared to a day to day job. The criminals sometimes also believe that they don’t have a choice except to commit the crime. The image of the criminal in the article is an individual who has faced some sort of humiliation or have felt unwanted by their family which led them to become serial…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Strain Theory is similarly effective as it concludes that the yearning for monetary success is to blame as the most significant factor contributing to the commitment of crime. Money as the motive applies to the criminal justice system in many investigations where they are searching for a motive that may lead them to capturing a criminal. Wholly, both theories are tremendously useful in terms of understanding crime in regards to criminal…

    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For many decades and centuries there has been a debate within the criminologists population about the causes to become a criminal. Throughout time, people have tried to come to a conclusion about what could be the cause for crime. It was perceived that there was one single cause for someone to commit a crime, whether it was robbery or murder. The reason in the 17th century would be that, the accused is possessed(Causes of Crime). As technology and society advanced, many criminologists began to have a different perspective.…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are three primary theories in psychology which help to give meaning in defining what is identified as crime. Although the notion of defining crime is not a simple matter, these three theories shed light on the subject. The most straightforward answer to contextualising crime depends on factors or variables within a society. In today's society the most common meaning 'crime' has depends on three views. The Consensus View, The Conflict View, and The Interactionist View.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The classical school of thought is based on the idea that people are free to make decisions, and that punishment can be a deterrent to crime, the punishment is proportionate, fits the crime, and are expeditiously. The theory that participates in the classical school of criminology is that "criminals make the rational choice and choose to commit criminal acts because of the maximum pleasure and minimum pain," (Classical, 2012). Theorist went further to explain that to discourage and lessen crime, and the severity of certain penalties must be proportionate to the crime committed and not more than what is necessary in order to deter the offender and others from committing more crimes (Classical, 2010). This theoretical framework and thought constitute the classical school of criminology.…

    • 1071 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Summary Criminology studies the reasoning and factors as to why individuals engage in criminal activities. In classical criminology, social philosophers Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham developed a theory of crime that criminologist and theorist still use today (Akers 2017). In classical criminology, an individual commits a crime by making a rational decision. That decision is based off of whether the benefits that one might receive by offending outweighs the consequences such as being caught and cited or sentenced. Individuals base their decision to offend or not offend on what they have seen others suffer, their knowledge of what consequences they may endure and their own personal experiences.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ecological Theory Of Crime

    • 1015 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Crime has been a daily social issue in our society for many centuries. The lack of control over crime has caught the attention of many researchers and academics who, from decades, have tried to study crime to seek solutions for this social issue. Crime has become an issue of interest to study by many sociologist and criminologist because it affects not only the victims of crime, the perpetrators, their families, but society as a whole. Theories after theories had been previously created to control crime rate and explain its existence, instability, and its links to dependable factors that were increasing the rate of crime among certain ethnic groups and disadvantaged communities. While some theories reasonably explicated their main proposition,…

    • 1015 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction: There are many unique theories as to why humans commit crime, engage with others in crime, and are lured or motivated by a criminal lifestyle. By studying these theories, one is afforded a chance to develop and then test potential solutions to this enormous social problem that has afflicted humanity since the beginning of time. The various ways of deterring, controlling, preventing, and punishing crime throughout history has changed drastically. Attempting to attack the problem of crime head on, has not worked; so developing different ways to learn why, adapt, and address the root causes of crime is the current strategy. One very important point is that the structural frameworks and contributions from both classical school of…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Classical thinkers like Beccaria were instrumental in setting in place a system that would hand out punishment as well as establish laws for the people to abide by. Classical theorist believed that punishment that followed the commission of a crime was more just and useful (Brown, 2004, p. 1). This means that if an offender was punished following a crime that he or she committed they would be less likely to commit a criminal act again. Classical theorist believed that swift and just punishment was the key to deterrence. A criminal would think hard before committing a crime because they would have to weigh out the benefit versus the…

    • 1886 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In this essay I will reflect on the few assumptions and understandings I had about crime and see how they have changed. Upon arriving at De Montfort University to study Criminology and Criminal Justice, I had average knowledge about crime and punishment i.e. insight into biological and psychological perspectives of crime having studied A-level Law and Psychology beforehand. However I did expect to delve so deep into the history and other aspects of Criminology during this first semester. During A-level Law I have read many case studies of murder, manslaughter, GBH, rape etc. I found the main reasons behind committing these crimes were usually motives for revenge, loss of control, hate, rage, and biological inheritance of 'criminal genes ' such as Monoamine oxidase A which makes individuals more prone to exert violence.…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Classical school of criminology has been associated to philosophers Marchese Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham (Irving & Mendelsohn, 1985). The Classical school of criminology was a body of thought that majorly impacted the criminal justice system through the transformation of crime and punishment. Beccaria believed that the best solution for crime was punishment (Taylor, Walton & Young, 2003). The main solution to crime is the use of punishment. Consequently, responsibility was given to the government.…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays