CRIM 2650 Lecture Notes - Musicology, Social Evolution, Anomie
Document Summary
Society would evolve if there was a division of labour. It makes society move forward: social evolution: legal tools and social solidarity (mechanical vs. organic vs. contractual) when society evolves into industrial society, it leads to legal tools to punish criminals. Organic= divisions of labour: crime is an act that offends against the collective conscience of society totality of beliefs that were held by the average law abiding members in society. Because crime wounds the collective conscience, we avenge/cure that wound with punishment: crime is a normal and necessary event in society we don"t want to completely illuminate it. Like becarria, he argues that rituals should be public because they need to inform society about the moral boundaries. Punishment rituals can include the execution of punishment, and the courtroom trial. However, the execution of punishment is a private affair. Prison is not open to the public. in our society, we do vicariously witness punishment through news media.
