Acceso usuarios
Stefano Manacorda 
Cesare Beccaria - whose most celebrated book "Dei delitti e delle pene" was publisbhed 250 years ago - is unanimously considered one of the founding fathers of Modern Criminal Law. Such a reputation is the consequence, among others, of his fight against the death penalty and any other form of inhuman or cruel treatment. Nevertheless, Beccaria in his famous booklet, declares to be in favour of life imprisonment, considering such a penalty as being particular effective, due to its intimidation and deterrence effects. Most of the legal scholars have considered this position to be either irrelevant, for it is only concerned with the research of a legal substitute to the death penalty, or commendable, for it is in contradiction with the notion of humanity Beccaria declares to inspire himself This paper. following the analysis of Michel Foucault, suggests a different interpretation: life imprisonment is neither irrelevant nor contradictory in Beccaria, but is the consequence of the rationale of punishment in the XVIII century when utilitarianism had a prominent role. In that time the concept of humanity was irrespective of the single individuals and it was only conceived as a limit to the exercise of power.
1. II riferimento di Beccaria alla pena della schiavitù perpetua e 'l'invenzione' dell'ergastolo. - 2. La pena perpetua come 'succedaneo' della pena capitale: un ostacolo alla riproposizione del tema? - 3. Dalla schiavitù perpetua alla pena dell'ergastolo: un passaggio improprio? - 4. La nuova economia politica del potere punitivo come chiave di lettura della proposta riformatrice di Beccaria. - 5. La giustificazione della schiavitù perpetua in Beccaria tra contrattualismo ed utilitarismo. - 6. Il ruolo controverso del principio di umanità nell'economia punitiva di Beccaria. - 7. Conclusioni.
