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Beccaria, Cesare
An Italian philosopher (1738–1794). His famous An Essay on Crimes and Punishment (1764) is considered the foundation of the classical school of criminological theory. His work led to criminal law reform in western Europe and influenced the developing American system. He was critical of the corporal and largely arbitrary and harsh punishments of the time and called for a rational system of punishment that fits the crime. He argued that punishment should be swift and certain and not be excessive for the crime. He called for a system of law created by government that should be specific and not capricious. For more information, see Beccaria (1764/1983).
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