CRIM 402 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Atavism, Determinism, Impulsivity
15 May 2020
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Document Summary
Since prehistory, we have tried to understand why ppl commit crime. Medieval biological explanations found criminal character rooted in system of humors. Large scale influences on behaviour brought about by balances & imbalances w/i specific organs of body & secretions. Moral theories of crime as evil influence - historically predominant. 400 bce - plato thought criminality caused by obscurity of thought. Imprisoned human mind blocked from enlightenment as if locked in cave & thus acted irrationally. First century ce - st paul thought criminality caused by sinfulness. 19th century - lombroso - put forward concept of facial types - atavism - by which one could identify criminal. After horrors of eugenics movement fully understood, social scientists focused solely on social science explanations for crime. Although concept of eugenics appalling, had nothing to do w/ science/genetics but was rather racist political ideology. Biology does not cause crime, but neither does social, status, psychology, or experience.
