According to Beccaria's and Bentham's utilitarian rationale, punishment should be based on:

According to Beccaria's and Bentham's utilitarian rationale, punishment should be based on:

• A. The Character of the Victim
• B. The Concept of Mercy
• C. The Seriousness of the Crime
• D. The Social Status of the Perpetrator

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that punishment, in Beccaria’s and Bentham’s utilitarian view, should be determined by the seriousness of the offense in order to maximize deterrence and reduce future harm. Beccaria argued punishment ought to reflect the gravity of the crime and its social costs, not to seek vengeance or to tailor penalties to the offender’s character. Bentham’s utilitarian calculus emphasizes using punishment to minimize overall pain and promote the greatest good, so penalties should be calibrated to deter others and prevent recidivism, with the offense’s seriousness guiding how severe the sanction should be. This focus on proportionality to the offense and its social impact makes the seriousness of the crime the central basis for punishment. Other options don’t fit because they rely on factors unrelated to the act’s social harm or deterrent value: the victim’s character is irrelevant to the utilitarian aim of reducing harm, mercy can undermine deterrence, and the offender’s social status has no bearing on the offense’s seriousness or the penalty’s effectiveness in preventing crime.

The main idea is that punishment, in Beccaria’s and Bentham’s utilitarian view, should be determined by the seriousness of the offense in order to maximize deterrence and reduce future harm. Beccaria argued punishment ought to reflect the gravity of the crime and its social costs, not to seek vengeance or to tailor penalties to the offender’s character. Bentham’s utilitarian calculus emphasizes using punishment to minimize overall pain and promote the greatest good, so penalties should be calibrated to deter others and prevent recidivism, with the offense’s seriousness guiding how severe the sanction should be. This focus on proportionality to the offense and its social impact makes the seriousness of the crime the central basis for punishment.

Other options don’t fit because they rely on factors unrelated to the act’s social harm or deterrent value: the victim’s character is irrelevant to the utilitarian aim of reducing harm, mercy can undermine deterrence, and the offender’s social status has no bearing on the offense’s seriousness or the penalty’s effectiveness in preventing crime.