Cesare Beccaria: On Crimes and Punishments 1764
- Open the histories and we will see that the laws which, while not know-or be dovrebbon terms of free men, are not you-is mostly stromenti that the passions of some bit-chi, or born of a fortuitous and transient needs, not dictated by a Cold examiner of human nature-na, which concentrate in one point the actions of a mol-tude of men, and consider at this point of view: the greatest happiness in as many divided.
Most laws are not that privilege, that is a tribute to all the convenience of a few ... ... ... ..
... ... .. It 's better to prevent crimes than to punish them. This is the main goal of any good legislation, which is the art of leading men to the maximum of happiness or unhappiness to the minimum possible. But the means employed so far are mostly false and opposite to the end proposed. It is not possible to reduce the turbulent activities of men in a geometric order without irregularities and confusion. ...
you prevent crimes? Let the laws be re-called, simple.
Let the laws favor the less classified of the men is men themselves.
Let the men-tion the fear, and they fear the sun. The fear of the laws is lutare-known, but fatal, and fruitful of crime is to humans. Men are slaves most voluptuous, most freedmen-ni, the cruelest of free men.
... ... Would you prevent crimes? Let the lights accompanied gnino freedom.
The evils which arise from knowledge are in inverse ratio of their distribution, and property are in direct ...
If pleasure and pain are the engines of human sen-sible , if one of the reasons why the men, even to the most sublime operations, were from the invisible legislature intended the prize and the sentence, the incorrect distribution of these will be born less than observed contradiction, the more common, that the penalties punish-no crimes that they have initiated.
40. Here, very nearly, the reasoning that makes a thief or a murderess, "What are these laws that I should respect, so that leaves a big gap between me and the rich?.
Who made these laws?: Rich and powerful men, who have never deigned to visit the squalid huts of the poor, who have never shared a bread going moldy or rusty, between the cries of innocent children and the tears of his wife. "
41 to 42. It seems to me absurd, that the laws are an expression of public will, which detest and punish homicide, they will commit one themselves.
42. What are the feelings of each on the death penalty? Leggiamoli acts of indignation and contempt, with which everyone looks at the executioner, who is also a performer of the innocent public will, .... as the brave soldiers.
So what is the origin of this contradiction? ...... Why do men in their most secret hearts ........ have not always believed to be the life of anyone in power, out of necessity [the case] that holds an iron rod with his the universe? .. The murder is being preached to us as a terrible crime, we see it ... used.
59. There is no freedom whenever the law permits that in some events, the man ceases to be a person, and you become what you will see then the industry's powerful all directed to pull out from the crowd of civilians combinations that the law gives him in his favor.
82. Do not promote laws that the classes of men, that men themselves.
82. Would you prevent crimes? let the lights accompany freedom.
43. The voice of a philosopher is too weak against the riots and cries of so many who are led by blind habit
