Thursday, December 16, 2010

Life of Cesare Beccaria

I was born on March 15, 1738 in the beautiful city of Milan, Italy. I come from a wealthy aristocratic family and was able to study in the Jesuit college in Parma. Two of my closest friends, Pietro and Alessandro Verri, helped to create the L'Accademia dei pugni or the Academy of Fists. Alessandro was quite familiar with the criminal system due to the fact that he had been working in prisons in Milan. Pietro had some information about the prison, but they were a bit vague. However, he was able to write down and process some of the information and turn it into a text.  Our work explained how capital punishment should be lightened and only used if absolutely necessary. We also wanted other methods of punishment such as using explicit torture  and unequal sentencing to be removed as soon as possible. We focused on the reformation of the system of punishment at the time. We also felt the need to change the system  which helped to create my book, On Crimes and Punishments. It was inspired by the unfair punishments of that were used to sentence people of crimes. I was invited to meet philosophers of and speak with them. Although I had not made a great impression on the philosophers, I was being recognized and received certain political offices in Italy. Even so, attention was brought up and it concerned the criminal justice system. I was glad to find out that many distinguished philosophers and rulers read my treatise. It was soon published in languages of all kinds and more people were able to read what I thought was the real kind of equality. I was unable to produce another book due to the restrictions held in Austria. However, my publications were not very popular among the Austrians and was also not widely spread. I was working quietly for the Austrian government and have been. I did not produce any other works especially not because I needed moral support from my friends.

My later years were beset by family difficulties and problems of health. I was not fond of all the attention that I was getting from people who read my treatise. While I was in to Paris, my visit was cut short his visit because of acute homesickness. After the death of my wife in 1774 was due to a period of declining health. A few months later I remarried. Property disputes initiated by my two brothers and sisters resulted in litigation that distracted me for many years. I witnessed several saddening events during Revolution in France: I was not a great supporter of the French Revolution but  it was something that could help with my causes. I was  extremely shocked by the ongoing event of the Terror.
 

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