This article is a  lectio doctoralis  made at the Universidad de la Cuenca del Plata, at Corrientes, Argentina, in order to earn the title of doctor Honoris Causa, and talks about criminology since the period of the middle ages and the enlightenment to contemporary times. In the opportunity, the author analyses several criminological theories that has been defended thru centuries of history, showing the evolution of studies inside the criminal law and the criminology itself, and making possible the perception of the reflexes of these vision in the punitive power and in the constitution of state forms. It’s possible to conclude that, even with the advances made in the studies at criminology and with the formation of the Social State, still seeks to legitimate a stronger punitive power to those seen as enemies.