Lombroso s An Insane Asylum Essay - 1272 Words

According to Lombroso his theories were sparked by an autopsy of a criminal in an insane asylum. He discovered an abnormality that he deemed to be common with lower animals. Lombroso is quoted as saying, â€Å"At the sight of that skull, I seemed to see all of a sudden (†¦) the problem of the nature of the criminal – an atavistic being who reproduces in his person the ferocious instincts of primitive humanity and the inferior animals.† By modern standards Lombroso’s sweeping generalizations would be regarded as crude at best. However, Lombroso did indicate many symptoms of mental illness as possible indicators of â€Å"born criminality.† The epileptic and the insane were a subset within Lombroso’s â€Å"born criminal.† Many of his assertions on the attributes of criminals were wildly off base, however he did bring a focus onto the biological and away from the soul as the reason for deviance. His assumptions spread far and wide througho ut the nineteenth century; for example during a trial in Ohio a housekeeper’s head was measured to see whether or not she should be charged with the poisoning of a young boy. Lombroso himself performed thousands of autopsies and examined many a brain. His theories inspired a craze for dissection and understanding of the brain. The nineteenth century saw an explosion in knowledge regarding the brain unlike any before. For centuries, the brain had been considered the seat of human intelligence. However, the brain of the classics was a singular organ ofShow MoreRelatedCompare Beccaria and Lombroso Essay2327 Words   |  10 Pagesare relative and historically shaped; they vary from time to time and from place to place (Carrabine et al, 2009). This essay will be comparing the competing ideologies of two key thinkers in criminology; Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794) and Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909). Cesare Beccaria is considered to be the ‘father’ of criminology and is associated with the classical school of criminology, although he was not a criminologist but an Italian economist; criminology did not exist at this time. BeccariaRead MoreCRM 1301 Midterm uOttawa Carolyn Gordon Essay10218 Words   |  41 Pagesbehaviour Identified 26-35 special faculties of the brain 3 regions of the brain Intellectual faculties Moral sentiments Lower function This region was associated with criminal behavior. This function can be in check by the other 2. Cesare Lombroso(1835-1909) Founder of positive thought Provided medical services in army and prison Compared physical characteristics of individuals (study criminals in prison and compare them to a controlled group through Phrenology) Heavily influenced by Darwin’s