Criminology
John does not understand a certain concept. Recent events saw his residence being broken into, and the invader made off with a number of pricey technological items. John feels upset, but he does not fully understand the circumstances that led to the crime. Why did the intruder decide to break into Johns' flat instead of any other place?
Criminology is the academic study of criminal behaviour and legal retribution. The study of criminology can be approached from a variety of angles. There are others who are of the opinion that criminal behaviour is innate to human nature. Others are of the opinion that environmental factors play a role in the development of criminal behaviour in individuals. Still other people hold the view that criminals are rational actors who assess the benefits and drawbacks of their actions before making a decision to commit a crime. Let's take a look at one of the theories proposed in the field of criminology, which is known as the rational choice theory. We will discuss key aspects of this theory, as well as some of the arguments for and against it.
Hedonistic Calculus
Johns is curious as to the intruder's motivation for breaking into his apartment and stealing his belongings. Is it possible that the invader chose that particular apartment because he was born with a biological defect? Is it possible that the invader become a criminal as a result of his upbringing? Or was it a different thing entirely?
According to one school of thought within criminology known as the rational choice theory, individuals are capable of making logical decisions on the conditions under which they will commit a crime. For instance, the thief may have observed that John had carelessly propped open one of the windows in his apartment. The intruder most likely would have continued seeking for an easier victim if the window hadn't been open, giving him the opportunity to escape. However, because the window was open, the burglar was able to objectively analyse his alternatives and recognise that the open window made his work easier.
The concept that individuals will measure the potential pleasure they will receive from committing the crime against the potential pain they will feel as a result of the penalty, and then act in accordance with that decision, is an essential part of the rational choice theory. This is what many in the field call "hedonistic calculus." Hedonism is defined as the pursuit of pleasure while avoiding unpleasant experiences, and calculus is a branch of mathematics. Therefore, at its core, hedonistic calculus is just the application of mathematics to the concept of maximising pleasure while minimising discomfort.
Let's spend a moment going back to the burglar who broke into John' apartment. A bit of hedonistic calculation is performed by him before he breaks into the residence. He believes that he will be able to make a lot of money by selling the stolen equipment from John' flat, so he decides to steal them. Because of this, he will be able to purchase the items that he desires or spend the money in some other way that will offer him joy.
However, if he is discovered, he could be sent to jail, which would be extremely painful for him. He must determine how much pleasure he will experience if he is successful in getting away with it vs how much agony he will experience if he is caught and punished for his actions. It is highly likely that he will break into John' flat if the prospect of experiencing pleasure is greater than the possibility of experiencing suffering.
According to the rational choice theory, criminals act in a manner that is logical, deliberate, and rational, and they make rational choices regarding whether or not to commit crimes. This is implied by the theory's name. And hedonistic calculus is a fantastic illustration of this; it is about making a logical choice in order to seek pleasure and avoid suffering as much as possible. In other words, it is about seeking pleasure and avoiding pain as much as possible.
Pros versus Cons
Because it provides an all-encompassing perspective on criminal behaviour, the rational choice theory is quite well-liked by a lot of individuals. That is to say, it can be applied to a wide variety of people who are involved in a wide variety of illegal situations. Consider the trespasser who broke into John' residence as well as the CEO who engaged in unethical stock trading by using information obtained from insider sources. Both of them might make a hedonistic calculation and assess their choices before deciding whether or not to commit the crime that they are contemplating.
Nevertheless, the theory of rational choice does suffer from a few flaws. The most important one is that it makes the assumption that all people behave in a reasonable manner. What about the so-called "crimes of passion," though? Consider the scenario in which a man returns home from his job after being fired to discover that his wife has been cheating on him with his brother. It is possible that he is not acting in a sensible manner if he assaults his brother. In point of fact, there is a good chance that he won't pause for a moment to consider the likelihood of experiencing either pleasure or pain before throwing the first punch.
The rational choice theory also has the additional flaw that it does not provide a comprehensive picture of criminal behaviour. For instance, it is unable to explain why some people commit acts that make no sense at all when viewed from their perspective. In addition, it does not work very well with adolescent offenders or those who are mentally ill. However, when taken as a comprehensive theory of criminal behaviour, it holds up very well.
Conclusion
Criminology is the academic study of criminal behaviour and legal retribution. The rational choice theory is a school of thought within the field of criminology that proposes individuals are capable of making reasoned decisions on the conditions under which they will commit crimes. These logical choices involve a significant amount of hedonistic calculus, which entails weighing the possibility of pleasure derived from committing a crime against the possibility of pain derived from being caught and punished. A significant portion of these logical choices involve hedonistic calculus. A comprehensive perspective on criminal behaviour is provided by the rational choice theory; nevertheless, this theory makes the assumption that all individuals behave rationally, does not provide a whole picture of criminal behaviour, and does not apply well to juvenile or mentally ill criminals.
Reading Outcomes
Once you've finished going through this reading, you should be able to:
- In the context of criminology, give an explanation of what is meant by the term "rational choice theory."
- Describe in detail the reasoning that underlies the hedonistic calculus.
- Recognize that there are positive and negative aspects to the theory.