Routledge On Crimes and Punishments

Beccarria's influential Treatise On Crimes and Punishments is considered a foundation work in the modern field of criminology. As Newman and Marongiu note in their introduction to the work, three master themes of the Enlightenment run through the Treatise: the idea of the social contract, the idea of science, and the belief in progress. The idea of the social contact forms the moral and political basis of the work's reformist zeal. Th e idea of science supports a dispassionate and reasoned appeal for reforms. The belief in progress is inextricably bound to the idea of science. All three provide the necessary foundation for accepting Beccaria's proposals. It is virtually impossible to ascertain which of several versions of the Treatise that appeared during his lifetime best reflected Becccaria's own thought. His use of many ideas of Enlightenment thinkers also makes it diffi cult to interpret what he has written. While Enlightenment thinkers wanted to break the chains of religion and advocated free men and free minds, there was considerable disagreement as to how this might be achieved, except in the most general terms. The editors have based this translation on the Francioni (1984) text, by far the most exhaustive critical Italian edition of Dei delitti e delle pene. This edition is undoubtedly the last that Beccaria personally oversaw and revised. This new translation, which includes an outstanding opening essay by the editors, is a welcome introduction to Beccaria and to the modern beginnings of criminology. About the Author Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794) was an Italian philosopher and politician. He is known as one of the founders of modern criminology and penology. In his lifetime he was made chair of law and economy at Palatine College, became a member of the supreme economic council and was elected to the board for the reform of the judicial code all in Milan. Graeme R. Newman is Distinguished Teaching Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at the State University of New York-Albany. He is the author or editor of many books including Super Highway Robbery, The Global Report on Crime and Justice, and Rational Choice and Situational Crime Prevention. Pietro Marongiu is associate professor of criminology in the School of Medicine, University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. He is the author of Theory and History of Social Banditry in Sardinia.