What Is Classical Criminology?
Classical criminology is an approach to the legal system which arose during the Enlightenment in the 1700s. Philosophers like Cesare Beccaria, John Locke, and Jeremy Bentham expanded upon social contract theory to explain why people commit crime, and how societies could effectively combat crime. The concepts of classical criminology continue to play a large role in the legal systems of many nations today, although the approach in the modern world tends to be a bit more flexible.
