Midterm 2 Flashcards
-classical -demonic -pathological -functionalism
What was the demonic perspective?
-that possession and temptation were the primary causes of deviance and crime
What beliefs did creationists of Western Europe believe?
-the devil lived among them and they must be on guard to not fall prey to him
What paradigm of punishment was during Feudalism?
Demonic
Were deviants fully responsible for their behaviour?
- No, they were partly responsible
- because some people were actually possessed by demons or spirits
What word best describes the feudal age?
- chaotic
- because it had very high crime rates even thought the punishment was so harsh
Is the world more dangerous than in feudal times?
-no, the world has only progressed as safer since then
What did Enlightened reformers view demonic punishment as?
-systemic rage
Who were the enlightened reformers?
-Beccaria and Bentham
What did the enlightened reformers say about the nature of all human action?
-it was always the same, focused on self-interest
What did the enlightened reformers stress the importance of?
- happiness
- to be able to be happy was to follow your self-interest
Who displaced the aristocracies in Europe?
-classical thinkers
What is the mini-max theorem by classical theorists?
Human nature was:
- calculated, rational actors
- hedonistic and self-interested, they looked out for #1
- utilitarianism, minimize pain and maximize pleasure
- they believed units of pain and pleasure could be calculated by humans
- free will and social contract
What portion of the mini-max theorem created the justice system and why?
- utilitarianism
- they believed all they had to do was make the criminal system more painful than pleasurable
What was central to punishment in the classical system?
- deterrence
- they thought crimes, not criminals, should be the focus
- focus should be behaviour not people
What 3 elements must punishment contain to be effective according to classical theorists?
- swiftness
- certainty
- severity was calibrated so that pain was 1 unit greater than pleasure of punishment, should be rational
Do classical theorists reject or accept the death penalty and why?
- they reject it
- it provides no opportunity for rehabilitation
- pain is too severe
When did Bentham purpose that laws should be created?
- when deviant behaviour presented a demonstrable social harm
- if there was no victim there was no harm
What did classical theory think about morality?
- there should be no morality, punishment should be objective
- again, its about controlling the behaviour not the person
What happened when the enlightened reformers attempted to determine the common good?
-because it is a subjective process it explicitly disregards the rights of minority groups
What structure did classical theorist try to bring to the justice system by focusing on uniformity?
- legislative body would generate laws
- judicial body determined guiltiness
- to ensure no one had all the power
Under Napoleon and the French Penal Code of 1791 how did punishment work?
-there was one punishment for any breaking of the law regardless of the context or circumstances
What modifications have been applied to our current justice system?
- judges care about circumstances and context
- some people won’t be punished if they’re psychologically not well
How did classical thinking relate to prisons?
- classical thinking contributed to the rise of prisons
- prisons related to the utilitarian approach of classicists
What were prisons meant to do and what concept did this produce?
- people were meant to be rehabilitated, not to suffer
- this produced the concept of the panopticon
What is the panopticon?
- the cells are in a circle with the watch tower in the middle
- meant to foster rehabilitation
What is problematic about the classical perspective?
- people aren’t rational all the time
- many crimes are blatant use of privilege
- we can’t measure pleasure and pain
- do prisons even work?
What times periods has torture been a part of?
a feature of all human civilizations since antiquity
What centuries does the middle ages refer to?
-the 5th to 15th
Which centuries were characterized by feudalism?
-between the 9th and 15th
What was a crime against the Royal family akin to in the feudal era?
-a crime against God
What did Monarchies justify their power using?
-they justified their power based on the divine right of kings
What was deviant or criminal behaviour thought to be a result of (demonic)?
- the result of possession and temptation
- or temped into the 7 great sins
When guilty, what was the best way to carry out God’s plans?
- a confession
- kissing the Royal cloth
What was the purpose of executions?
-they were public spectacles designed to illicit fear and control while carrying out Gods will
Why was execution advantageous for Royals?
-because it illicits fear and thus control
What are the 7 great sins?
- sloth
- anger
- lust
- pride
- envy
- gluttony
- greed
What was punishment during Feudalism based on?
-the principle of Lex Talionis
What is the principle of Lex Talionis?
- do unto others as they would do to you
- an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
How many witches were executed during the renaissance?
-40,000-500,000
How did people die in Salem for being a witch?
-hung, crushed or died in prison
How did people die in Europe for being a witch?
-hung, burned, the water test or spectral evidence
What was the water test?
-drowning people and seeing if they sunk or not