The idea of punishment in works of ancient world philosophers

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the idea of punishment in the perspective of ancient European and oriental philosophers. We give a critical review of the philosophical views of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and, in part, the political and legal views of ancient Chinese philosophers on criminal punishment, based on an analysis of the social and legal conditions of that historical era. The authors focus on philosophical and legal issues associated with the origin of the idea of punishment, and the theoretical attempts to explain its purpose, goals and legal entity in the teachings of ancient philosophers. We draw conclusions on the main points of understanding the idea of punishment among ancient philosophers.