Blackwell Reference Online

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Cesare Beccaria was born Cesare Bonesana, Marchese di Beccaria, in 1738 in Milan, Italy. His writings became associated with the classical school of thought on crime and punishment. Many of his ideas laid the groundwork for the reform of courts and laws throughout the world as well as the enactment of constitutions and proclamations of individual freedoms in emerging nations like the United States. The eighteenth century was a time of massive social change. The industrial revolution, the rise of the middle class, colonization, and urbanization around the world brought new cultural ideas and shifts in conceptions of government responsibility. The courts of this era were often said to be barbarous and cruel. Accusations were made in secret and torture was inflicted particularly on the poor. There were comparatively few written laws and judges ruled politically to suppress anyone who threatened the aristocracy or the Church. The son of noble parents, Beccaria studied at a Jesuit school in Parma and then at the University of Pavia, earning a doctorate in law, before returning home to marry the daughter of a military officer. With a background in law, math, and economics the young scholar spent a great deal of time conversing with his colleagues about the applications of utilitarian theory to public policy. His discussion group, led by the brothers Alessandro and Pietro Verri, published ... log in or subscribe to read full text