QUESTIONS FOR THE ABOLITION OF TORTURE (1764)



Lanette Burgos

HIS 112 2w2

William Dick

2 March 2012

Homework Questions

HIS 112 (World Civ. II)

(Page 2)

QUESTIONS FOR THE ABOLITION OF TORTURE (1764)

• What justifications are given for torture? How does Cesare Beccaria reply to these justifications?

o The purpose of torture is using brutal techniques to get a criminal to pretty much spill information by force of the whole truth and nothing but the truth of any information they could give on a crime and the others, if there was help, who were accomplices or else they would go through physical pain and torment. Cesare believed that a man should first be proven guilty and if they are found guilty, that they should be punished through the law instead of physical pain, because the person being tortured could easily be lying just so that they would be on the safe side and the torturing will end.

• How, according to Beccaria, should the gravity (and hence the severity of punishment) of a crime be determined? What should not determine it?

o Cesare believed that there should be different levels of actions taken due to the extremeness of a crime. Cesare had his own custom scale of punishments that were aligned to the severness of a crime. The only thing that should not determine a crime, believed by Cesare, was giving it the relation of man and God, but instead being equal between man and man.

• How would you define torture?

o My definition of torture would be within the lines of inflicting physical and even mental damage to someone who deserves it due to their actions of some kind of crime and can even end in death.

• Is torture ever justified? When? How?

o Truthfully, I think torture shouldn’t be considered inhumane. The one that is being tortured should’ve thought about doing whatever crime it was way before hand and really thought it through. It would put fear into people if they knew they did something bad and knew the consequence was torture, therefore, crimes would more than likely decrease. Mostly towards the murderers and rapist and molesters because those are the ultimate worst kind of people and I really don’t care how harsh this sounds, but they don’t have a right to get a second chance when all they are going to do is do it all over again.

QUESTIONS FOR THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (1776)

• What European thinkers and writers influenced Thomas Jefferson? How did Jefferson modify their ideas?

o Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Montesuieu, Locke, Rousseau, and Paine. Jefferson modified the ideas by using the basic foundation of beliefs written within Rousseau’s Social Contract, where it sates his beliefs in liberty, equality, and fraternity. From John Locke, he takes the idea of natural Law, which states that all men have the rights to life, liberty, and property.

• The Declaration was actually written by committee. Who, besides Jefferson, was involved?

o Those that were also involved within the committee of the Declaration of Independence were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and R.R. Livingston.

• What are some of the specific charges made against the King?

o The charges that were made against the King were the arguments that the King didn’t take action in passing laws that would have benefited the people and were of great importance. Pretty much being that he was paying off those who worked under him to keep their mouths shut.

QUESTIONS FOR THE WEALTH OF NATIONS (1776)

• What is the "unproductive class"? Why are these people useful?

o The unproductive classes, according to Adam Smith, are considered to be the lower class workers such as merchants and manufacturers. The unproductive classes were useful in making production move in a steady flow through trade.

• Adam Smith mentions two other classes. Who are they?

o The two other classes that are mentioned by Adam Smith are the proprietors and cultivators. The proprietors were the rich, and the cultivators were the hard working, poor folk.

• Why does Smith advocate "perfect freedom of trade"?

o Smith believed that it was a great opportunity to take into advantage of buying products made in different countries for cheaper price and he believed that by doing so, helped both sides.

• Why is Adam Smith's work so important?

o Adam Smith’s work was important because thanks to him, the network of trade has flourished and has been a great help for all the countries around the world.

• What other works did Adam Smith write?

o Adam Smith’s other works were The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Essays on Philosophical Subjects, Lecture’s on Justice, Police, Revenue, and Arms, and A Treatise on Public Opulence.

QUESTIONS FOR NATHAN THE WISE (“Religious Toleration” in Lewis)

• What question is Nathan answering for Saladin?

o The question Saladin asks Nathan is “Which is the true religion?”

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• In Nathan's story, there are three rings. What will distinguish one ring from the other two?

o In the story, all three rings were made identical, but there was only one true ring that held the power of love, making the one who wore it someone that would easily be loved by man and God.

• What does this parable have to say about religious differences?

o The parable can be explained as that religion was not made by God, but by man, and man is the only one who can make the religion true if he really believes in it deep down in his heart. There is no right or wrong religion, the only right religion is what you believe in and not to be used in the name of God.

QUESTIONS FOR VIRGINIA STATUTE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (1786)

• Who wrote this law?

o The one responsible for writing the law was Thomas Jefferson.

• What is the difference between religious toleration and religious liberty?

o Religious toleration is defined as the practice of allowing enduring another’s beliefs, even if they disapprove. Religious liberty means to support the freedom of anyone or community and accepting their religion or beliefs being practiced in public or private.

• Who coined the phrase, "a wall of separation between church and state"? What does this phrase mean?

o Thomas Jefferson coined the phrase, “a wall of separation between church and state.” The phrase is translated as meaning that the government is not to be held responsible to influence religion or it’s practice by creating laws to set any kinds of limits.

QUESTIONS FOR THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF MAN AND CITIZEN (1789) AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS (1791)

• Who is generally considered the "father" of our Bill of Rights?

o The man considered as the father of our Bill of Rights is George Mason.

• Compare these two documents. How are they similar? How do they differ?

o The similarity between both documents include that they both have the same principles of taxation, criminal law, and freedom of speech. Their differences are that the Bill of Rights states the rights given to citizens in a democratic nation while the Declaration of the Rights of Man states equality.

QUESTIONS FOR THE RIGHTS OF MAN (THOMAS PAINE)

• What made Thomas Paine so unpopular?

o Thomas Paine lost his popularity due to the fact that he was a trouble maker everywhere he went.

• Why did Thomas Paine write this?

o Thomas Paine wrote this as a response to Reflections on the Revolution in France written by Edmund Burke, disagreeing with his argument.

• What other pamphlets did Paine write?

o Paine had also written Common Sense which was written in 1776 and The Age of Reason which was published in three different years, 1794, 1795, and 1807.

• How does Paine explain the origins of the rights of man, and the equality of mankind?

o Paine goes on to explain that all men should be created equal as the way that was intended by God, who gives all men the right of equality and due to the fact that he is not responsible for the actions man take as far as entitling control and rule over men.

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