An Essay on Crimes and Punishments: Translated from the Italian; With a Commentary Attributed to Mons. De Voltaire, Translated from the French (1775) (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781584776383)

The first systematic study of the principles of crime and punishment. Originally published: London: Printed for E. Newberry, 1775. viii, iv], 179, lxxix pp. Infused with the spirit of the Enlightenment, its advocacy of crime prevention and the abolition of torture and capital punishment marked a significant advance in criminological thought, which had changed little since the Middle Ages. It had a profound influence on the development of criminal law in Europe and the United States, especially among the founding fathers. Originally published anonymously in 1764, this is a reprint of the fourth edition, which contains an additional text attributed to Voltaire.