SCRIPT
Interviewer: Today we have a very special guest, Cesare Beccaria.
CB: Thanks for having me.
Interviewer: Well before we get talking, do you mind telling us a little about yourself?
CB: I am from Italy and my full name is Cesare Marquis Beccaria-Bonesana, I am a criminologist, jurist, philosopher and politician.
Interviewer: Could you tell us about some of your education?
CB: I went to a Catholic School as a young boy and I went on to get my degree in Law from University of Pavia, from there I went to Milan, where the real education happened, The Enlightenment.
Interviewer: What was your field of interest?
CB: I was interested in justice. I saw the way courts and trials worked and I wanted to change it. Torture was an inhumane method still used to extract information to be used in crooked courts. Confessions could be falsely drawn due to this method of extraction, there was no real justice. I believed that the punishment should be equal to the crime, just enough to outweigh the benefits of the crime. Punishments are for the protection of order and security, they should deter others from doing the same thing. To quote my book, On Crimes and Punishments: “In order that any punishment should not be an act of violence committed by one person or many against a private citizen, it is essential that it should be public, prompt, necessary” - meaning it should be public to deter other citizens, prompt to show the effectiveness of the justice system and necessary, meaning you cannot give a man a death sentence for stealing bread.
Interviewer: What were some of your other revolutionary ideas?
CB: I also believed that there should be a system of punishments. Each man must receive the same punishment for the same crime, no one should be discriminated against and receive too harsh a punishment. And on the other hand, no one should get away with a severe crime and receive no punishment due to his status. I also supported the idea that capital punishment, putting someone to death, should be done away with.
Interviewer: What is in today's world that needs to change and why?
CB: We have come a very long way since I put forth these ideas, yet the death penalty still exists and torture is still being used in countries we are at war with. Although some states have done away with this cruel and inhumane practice, there over 3000 inmates who will still executed by lethal injection. Some states still use horrific acts like electrocution, firing squad and hangings. While I certainly dont believe that the whole justice system should be done with completely, but the methods used today are not the way to protect the people.
Interviewer: Thank you very much for being on the show, your ideas have truly revolutionized the way criminals are punished today.
CB: Thank you for having me. Feel free to read my book On Crimes and Punishments if you wish to learn more about my contribution to the Enlightenment.
No comments:
Post a Comment