Criminology Theories and The Social Contract

Flashcards covering key concepts from lecture notes on criminology theories, including the Enlightenment, the Social Contract, and differing schools of thought on crime and punishment.

Enlightenment Period

A historical period characterized by a shift in power and knowledge, diminishing the influence of clergy and royalty while increasing that of merchants, scientists, and regular people.

Pre-Enlightenment Authority

A time when religious figures and government officials often held the same roles, blurring the lines of authority.

Social Contract

An agreement where individuals, possessing natural rights, give up some freedoms for societal safety, functioning communities, and respect for others' rights and property.

Natural Rights

Inherent rights that humans possess simply by being human.

Thomas Hobbes' View on Social Contract

Believed individuals concede to the government the right to make and enforce rules, sacrificing liberties for guaranteed safety and consistent law enforcement, necessary to control competing societal desires.

John Locke's View on Social Contract

Saw the social contract as a reciprocal relationship where people give up liberties, but the government is also bound by the contract; if the government violates it, people have the right to rebel, and trust is key within communities.

On Crimes and Punishments Treaty (1794)

A foundational text, influential in Western law (used by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams), advocating for a more humane, logical, and just system of criminal justice.

Principles of Punishment (Classical School)

Punishment should not be an act of violence, but essential, public, prompt, necessary, the least possible, proportionate to the crimes, and dictated by the laws.

Prompt Punishment

The idea that punishment must follow a crime swiftly for an offender to perceive it as a direct consequence, aiding in future crime prevention.

Classical School of Criminology

A school of thought, informed by the Enlightenment, that views criminal offenders as rational actors who freely choose to break the law after weighing potential benefits against the possibility of punishment.

Positivist School

A subsequent school of thought that emerged to address perceived shortcomings of the Classical School, rejecting the sole idea of rational choice and focusing on causes of crime that lie outside the offender himself.

Strain Theory

A theory that suggests crime is not purely a rational choice but results from external pressure or strain experienced by individuals.