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CHAPTER I.: SUBJECT OF THIS BOOK. - Jeremy Bentham, The Works of Jeremy Bentham, vol. 1 (Principles of Morals and Legislation, Fragment on Government, Civil Code, Penal Law) [1843]

Edition used:

The Works of Jeremy Bentham, published under the Superintendence of his Executor, John Bowring (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1838-1843). 11 vols. Vol. 1.

Part of: The Works of Jeremy Bentham, 11 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


CHAPTER I.

SUBJECT OF THIS BOOK.

After naving considered offences as diseases in the body politic, analogy leads us to regard as remedies the means of preventing and repairing them.

These remedies may be arranged under four classes:—

  • 1. Preventive Remedies.
  • 2. Suppressive Remedies.
  • 3. Satisfactive Remedies.
  • 4. Penal Remedies, or simply Punishments.

Preventive Remedies.—The different methods of preventing a crime may be thus called. Of these there are two sorts: Direct methods, applying immediately to a particular offence: Indirect methods, consisting in general precautions against a whole class of offences.

Suppressive Remedies.—These are means which tend to cause an offence to cease—an offence begun, but not completed, and consequently, to prevent at least a portion of the evil.

Satisfactive Remedies are those by which reparation is made, or indemnification given to an innocent person, on account of the evil he has suffered by an offence.

Penal Remedies, or simply Punishments. When the evil has been made to cease, when the party injured has been indemnified, it is still necessary to prevent the recurrence of similar offences, both on the part of the offender and of every one else.

* There are two methods by which this end may be obtained: the one by correcting the will; the other by taking away the power to injure. The will is influenced by fear. Power is taken away by physical restraint. To take away from an offender the will to offend again, is to reform him: to take away the power of offending is to incapacitate him. A remedy which ought to act by means of fear, is it called a punishment? has it, or has it not, the effect of incapacitating? This depends upon its nature.

The principal end of punishments is to prevent like offences. The past offence is only as one point; the future is infinite. The past offence concerns only one individual; similar offences may affect every one. In many cases, the evil committed is irreparable; but the will to do evil may always be taken away, because, how great soever the advantage of the offence may be, the evil of the punishment may be made to surpass it.

These four classes of remedies may sometimes require different operations; sometimes the same operation will suffice for all.

We shall treat in this Book of Direct Preventive Remedies—of Suppressive Remedies—and of Satisfactitive Remedies. The second part will treat of Punishments, and the third of Indirect Preventive Remedies.

[]See Introduction to Morals and Legislation.

[* ]The following work is edited from the Traités de Legislation published by Dumont, and the original MSS. of Bentham.