Law today is a synthesis of various principles from around the world, past and present. Early legal practices were the foundation of the law we know and respect today. These practices were called classical school. Over time, however, several criminologists have greatly modified and improved the initial and incomplete ideas, making them more complete and practical for more modern times. This more recent version is called the positivist school. This rapid change from the classical to the positivist perspective was due to the change and growth of civilization. Even if one perspective is derived from another, they are still different in many ways and it is evident when you connect them to section 462.37, Confiscation of the Proceeds of Crime, and section 810, Safeguards to Maintain the Peace. The period of dominance of the Classical School of Criminology was between 1700 and 1800. Its conception of deviance was that deviance was a violation of the social contract. Classical theorists believed that all individuals were rational actors and capable of acting according to their free will. A person chose to commit crimes because of greed and because they were evil. The main tool that could be used over the classical school to control crime was to create “criminal sanctions that instill fear of punishment in those who contemplate criminal acts” (Gabor 154). Theorists of the classical school believed that the best defense was a good attack and therefore wanted to instill in people so much fear about what would happen to them if they committed a crime that even those who were just thinking about committing it were greatly affected. Individuals of the classical school operated entirely under free will and it was their... middle of paper... ch to section 810, Safeguards to Maintain the Peace. The Positivist School thinker would be the complete opposite as he would not be so much for section 462.37 but completely for section 810. Both schools of thought have their own advantages and disadvantages that would have a huge impact on society. It is comforting to see that in the 21st century, societies around the world have adopted more advantageous ideas and fewer disadvantageous ideas. However, the Classical School and the Positive School work best when merged together; it should be called the Positive Classical School of Criminology. Works Cited Bentham, Jeremy. "An introduction to the principles of morality and legislation". Jacoby, Joseph E. Classics of Criminology. Illinois: Waveland Press, INC, 2004. 105-109. Gabor, Thomas. Basic notions of criminology. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2010.