Philosophy of Crime: Existential Aspects and Dimensions

The aim of the study is to explore the existential aspects of crime from the perspective of philosophical analysis. It positions criminal behaviour not merely as a legal violation but as a potential manifestation of a profound personal crisis and a search for meaning in existential emptiness. This work presents a conceptual and theoretical synthesis, which is then contextualized with an illustrative analysis of open-source Eurostat statistics for 2020–2022. A focused review and synthesis of philosophical literature from the last two decades identified several key existential factors that influence crime rates. This conceptual and theoretical synthesis is contextualized with an analysis of open-source Eurostat statistics for 2020–2022. A systemic review of philosophical literature from the last two decades identified several key existential factors that influence crime rates. Thematic analysis ranked social inequality as the predominant factor, intrinsically linked to existential despair. Alienation was also distinguished as a critical driver, stemming from a deep disconnection from societal structures. A subsequent exploratory analysis of data from nine European countries was used to illustrate how these existential concepts might manifest in different socio-economic contexts. As an illustrative example, the data suggests that nations with higher economic development and lower inequality often report lower crime rates. This reflects a collective sense of existential security. On the contrary, countries characterized by significant inequality, low institutional trust, and political instability, like Bulgaria, Hungary, and Ukraine, show persistently higher crime rates. This provides an empirical context for theorizing a connection between existential frustration and deviant behaviour. The case of Ukraine is a particular exemple of how severe economic downturn and war have exacerbated existential insecurity, which correlates with survival-oriented crime.