Reviewing the Necessity of Punishment Essay -- Essays Papers

Reviewing the Necessity of PunishmentFrom On Crimes and Punishment by Cesare Beccaria is an excerpt from On Crimes and Punishment. In his address to the public, particularly those in political positions, Beccaria discusses the way we as a society choose to carry out the law. What he calls useless ghastliness of punishment encompasses his models on extremes such as capital punishment and the cruelties that we quit our government to inflict upon its own people in a flunk attempt to bring order to our society. The death penalty has plagued our society for centuries, possibly beginning with the cerebration of human sacrifice that has been turned around as a cycle of never-ending death and cruelty. The writing techniques employed by Beccaria effectively convince his audience that our forms of criminal punishment are postal code more than an unnecessary bad habit. In a debate, one notify easily bring their opposition to silence by asking them a question that they cannot answer. Bec caria uses this method to his advantage in his bring in. He asks a series of questions that cant be easily answered. The lazy ratifier would much rather defy faith in Beccarias beliefs than sort through the questions and find answers themselves. He asks, What is the topper way of preventing crimes? Are the same penalties always equally useful? What see have they on social custom? (64). These questions solo lead to more questions. The reader may be able to ponder situations that both sanction and discredit any solutions they may have for these questions, leaving them more muddled about their own stance. The reader is so wrapped up in trying to answer these questions, that they dont realize that Beccaria himself never answers them. This sly technique encoura... ...lthough the work was written at a time when numerous crimes were punishable by death, Beccarias work has exceeded his time because his convincing work can still rear thought on current forms of punishment. His mani pulation through questions, lists, and especially watchword choice effectively convince the reader to give more thought about his position, if not change their own opinion altogether. Beccaria not only gives reasons to oppose extreme punishment, but his gives a solution the surest but near difficult way of preventing crime is to improve education(70). So in the end, the reader not only has his propositions to think about, but they are left the idea of education being the end to crime. Works CitedBeccaria, Cesare. From On Crimes and Punishment. In R. Cosgrove (Ed.), Readings in western Civilizations (pp. 63-71). Boston Pearson Custom Publishing.