CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT AS A SYMBOLIC "DESTRUCTION" OF THE CRIME

Abstract

The article proposes criminal penalties to consider how culturally-based response to crime. Culture (including norms of criminal law) plays the role of symbols that mediate the application of criminal sanctions. In this context, explores the symbolism of criminal punishment. This symbolism manifests itself in self-injurious, corporal punishment, by applying them to the image of a dead criminal, animals, inanimate objects. It is concluded that the symbolism of criminal punishment is determined by the process of détente mental stress, called in psychology «attach significance psychophysiological processes» through which people are able to manage their emotions. It is argued that instead of aggression taking place in nature, human has learned to be content with symbolic damages in the form of punishment.