Samenvatting

This article examines the influence of the Enlightenment on the development of our criminal law system, using a legal theory perspective. On the basis of the dialectical character of this movement and the enlightened view on mankind, it is postulated that a true enlightened criminal law system is one in which there is both room for retribution, free will and responsibility as well as for prevention, causal determinism and risk. Furthermore, it is put forth that the daily practice of the criminal law has by now moved too far into the direction of prevention, causal determinism and risk, due to the ‘scientification’ and the simultaneous demoralisation of criminal law. As a result of these developments, it is out of the question to talk of a balanced and, consequently, of a truly enlightened criminal law system. Within the framework of the ‘scientification’ of the criminal law system, additional attention is devoted to the recent topic of neuroscience.