Discuss the historical overview of crime causation by different philosophy;
2. Explain the demonological theory;
3. Identify the advocates of the classical theory; and
4.
Discuss their contributions to the theory
Answer (1)
The historical overview of crime causation shows that people have tried to explain why crime happens in different ways across time. In early history, many believed that crime was caused by evil spirits or supernatural forces. Later on, thinkers began to connect crime to free will, choice, and eventually to social and environmental factors. These shifts in philosophy helped shape how laws and punishments developed.The demonological theory explained crime as the work of demons, evil spirits, or even the devil. People who committed crimes were often thought to be possessed or influenced by supernatural powers, which is why punishments during that time were very harsh, like torture or execution, to drive out the “evil.”The advocates of the classical theory were Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham. They argued that people have free will and commit crimes because they make choices.Their main contributions were the ideas that punishments should be fair, proportionate, and aimed at preventing crime rather than simply being cruel. Beccaria focused on the principle that punishment should fit the crime, while Bentham introduced the concept of utilitarianism, or the idea of seeking the greatest good for the greatest number. These contributions laid the foundation for modern criminal justice systems[tex].[/tex]
