On Beccaria, the Economics of Crime, and the Philosophy of Punishment

Authors

  • Mark D. White Department of Philosophy College of Staten Island/CUNY

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4454/philinq.v2i2.94

Keywords:

Beccaria, Cesare, economics, crime, punishment, deterrence, retributivism, law and economics,

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of Cesare Beccaria's "On Crime and Punishments" on economists who study criminal behavior and the criminal law, particularly in the area of punishment, paying close attention to the aspects of Beccaria's thought that economists missed. The paper begins with a discussion of their shared utilitarianism, emphasizing Beccaria’s greater psychological depth. Next, it discusses the different ways they emphasize the proportionality of punishment. Finally, it explores Beccaria’s approach to deterrence, which is more complex than that found in the economics of crime, and also his embrace of some tenets of retributivism, which I believe economists would do well to emulate.

Author Biography

Mark D. White, Department of Philosophy College of Staten Island/CUNY

Professor White is professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, where he teaches courses in philosophy, economics, and law.

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Published

2014-07-02

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2014)

Section

Focus

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