Beccaria is best known for which of the following works?

Beccaria is best known for his influential work "On Crimes and Punishments," published in 1764. This seminal text is foundational to modern criminology and criminal justice theory. In it, he argued against the use of torture and the death penalty, advocating for a more rational legal system based on the principles of social contract and utilitarianism. Beccaria emphasized that laws should be constructed to deter crime while ensuring fairness and justice for individuals. His ideas laid the groundwork for reforms in criminal law and significantly influenced the development of modern legal systems, promoting the idea that punishments should be proportionate to the crime and that the focus should be on preventing crime rather than avenging it. This work remains a pivotal reference point in discussions of criminal justice reform and the philosophy behind law enforcement practices.