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Why did Cesare Beccaria oppose torture and capital punishment?

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A vintage encyclopedia page shows small type and scientific illustrations. The question What was Enlightenment? is written in old-fashioned blue lettering. — Enlightenment The search for knowledge never ends—but it started somewhere.

Cesare Beccaria’s opposition to torture and capital punishment was rooted in the Enlightenment principle of utilitarianism, which posits that government policy should aim for the greatest good for the greatest number.1

In his seminal work, On Crimes and Punishments (1764), Beccaria argued that the penal system should only employ penalties severe enough to maintain security and order; any excess, he contended, constitutes tyranny. Regarding capital punishment, he maintained that it is counterproductive because it legitimizes the very behavior—killing—that the law seeks to repress. Furthermore, he argued that when used for lesser offenses, the death penalty is immoral due to its lack of proportionality to the harm caused.12

Beccaria believed the effectiveness of criminal justice relies on the certainty of punishment rather than its severity. By challenging the barbaric practices of his era, including torture and secret proceedings, he became a foundational figure in the global movement to abolish the death penalty.13