ABSTRACT
Michael R. Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi discuss the work of several influential philosophers, such as the Italian philosopher and criminologist Cesare Beccaria, the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham, and the British philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Criminologist Cesare Beccaria studied the relationship between crime and punishment. English philosopher Jeremy Bentham is noted for promoting utilitarianism, the philosophy that the best action is the one that causes the most overall good. Gottfredson and Hirschi wanted to present a comprehensive theory that future criminologists could build on, and to this end, the book also includes a few recommendations for further research and for future policies. They also claim that self-control theory will help policymakers make policies that effectively deter crime. Self-control theory was a major departure from the dominant school of thought in criminology, positivism, which asserts that people break the law because of external factors beyond their control.
