Resumen
Resumen de De los delitos y las penas
Para quién es
For readers who love law, history and moral philosophy, and anyone curious about where modern ideas of fair trial and humane punishment began.
De qué trata este libro
Crimes and Punishments is a book by the English writer James Anson Farrer, published in the nineteenth century. It brings together a historical look at how societies have dealt with wrongdoing and an English version of a short Italian treatise, On Crimes and Punishments, by Cesare Beccaria.
Beccaria wrote that treatise in Milan in 1764, and it became one of the most discussed attacks on cruel law in Europe. Farrer wanted English readers to meet its argument and to see it against a long history of harsh penalties. If you have ever asked what a punishment is for, and whether it works, this is where the question gets a clear and practical answer. Let us begin with the base of Beccaria's case.
En este resumen
- 1Punishment must rest on public safetyFree
- 2Certain and swift beats harsh
- 3Torture and the death penalty are condemned
- 4A small book that changed laws
Idea clave 1 de 4
Punishment must rest on public safety
Beccaria begins with a simple picture. People give up a small part of their freedom so that they can live together in safety. The laws are the record of that bargain, and the power to punish comes only from it.
From this he draws a limit. A ruler may punish only what is needed to protect the common good. Anything beyond that is not justice but plain force. Cruelty adds nothing to safety and so has no claim on the law.
This matters because many legal systems of the time grew out of habit, custom and royal will. Beccaria asks that each penalty be able to give a reason. Farrer presents the idea as part of a long change in thinking, from vengeance toward reasoned law. For a reader today, the lesson is to ask of any rule what good it serves.
That’s 1 of 4 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 61,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 4 h 5 min
- Listening time6 h 45 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about De los delitos y las penas
What is Crimes and Punishments by James Anson Farrer about?
It looks at the history and purpose of punishment and presents the arguments of Cesare Beccaria, who urged humane, reasoned and proportionate criminal law. It is a study of justice, law and morality.
Who was Cesare Beccaria?
Beccaria was an Italian thinker from Milan who wrote On Crimes and Punishments in 1764. He argued against torture and the death penalty and for clear, fair and certain laws.
Is Crimes and Punishments a hard book to read?
It is fairly easy to follow. Beccaria writes in short, direct chapters.
What is the main message of Beccaria's argument?
Punishment should aim to prevent crime, not take revenge. It should be certain, swift and in proportion to the harm, and it should never use cruelty that serves no purpose.
Is the book still worth reading today?
Yes, if you care about how modern ideas of fair trials and humane sentencing arose. It shows the reasoning behind debates that still continue about prisons and capital punishment.