Pestalozzi is a well known Swiss author and educator, but not so typical eighteenth-century intellectual embodying all the innovative spirit of the Enlightenment. A spirit that he, in his numerous writings, he tried to disseminate and extend also to the social, political, legal and cultural. Pestalozzi wrote a singular work on legislation and infanticide, never published until now in languages ​​other than German, and we are presenting today translated and edited by the sociologist of education, Professor Jose Maria Quintana. Perhaps, at the present time, the object of this book may seem a little alien: it would seem less to those who, as the author, had witnessed the appalling spectacle of public execution of some unfortunate infanticide. The Pestalozzi book interesting is how such a humanitarian as he discusses these cases, showing the extenuating causes concurred in the mother and pretending that evil came from unfortunate social circumstances, about inadequate laws and a justice system dominated by chieftaincy. The work includes fragments of the procedural records up to 14 of these dramatic cases. Pestalozzi was determined to promote social improvement in all aspects, and this was one involving the people in a rather special and, above all as a decanter of other problems and human misery. This book strikes an important social and legal problem that, while not being the materials in their data, they do still exist in what amounts to human insensitivity, instability of social action and marginalization of disadvantaged segments of the population. By placing the finger on a problem chilling, our author betrays social and legal decisions and makes some proposals for legal and institutional reform, both for their courage in the complaint as to the wisdom and prudence with which they are raised, may serve model also for society. This classic book now acquired by direct reference, made with great sensitivity and modern human spirit, the exploitation of women, domestic violence, to children's rights, rights of women, the reform of the law and justice, and is also a pioneering discussion on the death penalty.