Ciência econômica e direito penal sob a perspectiva sistêmica

Abstract

This research studies the role of the Economic Analysis of Criminal Law in order to verify how it might contributes with the Law in contemporary society. Economic analysis is based on the use of analytical tools of Economic Science with the aim to investigate the way in which humans beings behave in society. Actually, it investigates the effect of incentives (in a broad sense) in human behavior. In this context, the intention of the Law and Economics analysis is to complexify the legal perspective regarding human behavior to find better social responsiveness, in relation to changes in the legal system. Thus, based on a reconstruction of the Economic Analysis of Criminal Law, from the Gary Becker’s seminal text (1968), this research discusses the internal progress of that perspective, and especially the criticism added on it from Behavioral Economics. This approach was chosen because Behavioral Economics, by itself, could be able to assist in the construction of the dogmatic view of Law. Finally, it was investigate, based on System Theory, the theoretical relationship between the contributions of Economic Science (as communications of System Science or Economics) in relation to the System of Law, especially considering the difficulties of “consequentialist rationalities”, as related to the “rational agent” (that reacts to incentives, even with bounded rationality, biases and heuristics of decision). The result suggests the possibility of gains for the Law, especially in the way of how legal rules can be planned and might have measured their efficiency and effectiveness, considering the way of how recipients perceive (and react) to rules changing. In the same perspective, it might be difficult to Law reach social goals in a social contingent and risky society, from the perspective of the Theory of Social Systems.