The Classical and the Positivist Schools of Thought

The Classical and the Positivist Schools of Thought
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The Classical and the Positivist Schools of Thought
Currently, countries all over the world are in the process of enacting, changing, and dropping some of the policies that exist. As the above is happening, keen individuals will not fail to notice the fact that the adopted policies are undeniably influenced by theories that were conceived in the past. Over the years, crime has had numerous explanations, but till today, blanks and questions still exist. Theorists and individuals who try to explain the causes of crime often tailored their views to fit within certain social settings. The implication of the above is that replicating the ideas could indeed be flawed and hence the imposed limits in use and generalization. Researchers often focused on demographic changes to explain the fluctuations in criminal behavior, but there have been counter arguments that suggest that human beings have within themselves the triggers to commit a crime. The study of crime and criminals dates back many centuries and led to two historically significant schools of thought: the classical school of thought and the positivist school of thought.
The classical school of thought was coined by Beccaria and Bentham in the 18th century (Lilly, Cullen, and Ball, 2015). According to the two researchers, criminals know what they are doing and often make calculated moves. In his explanation of crime and criminal activity, Beccaria said that criminals plan their crimes and often choose to commit crime willingly. To Beccaria, free will was the main reason why people committed a crime. He also claimed that a criminal’s behavior is always guided by self-satisfaction and that they always did everything for their satisfaction.
In his proclamation of appropriate punishment, Beccaria suggested that punishment should suit a particular offense. Equality and fair treatment of criminals were the main issues that inf...