Enlightenment and Criminal Thought Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What treatment methods were used on individuals believed to be possessed by evil spirits?

Herbal remedies

Community support

Gentle counseling

Horrifying tortures (correct)

What was one way that elites diverted attention from their own failings?

By blaming individuals on possession by the Devil (correct)

By promoting education

By encouraging public debate

By implementing social reforms

Who were primarily accused of witchcraft during the pre-18th century?

Children of farmers

Economically independent women (correct)

Clergy members

Elderly men

What shift in thinking occurred due to the scientific revolution during the Enlightenment?

Focus on sensory verification and reason Signup and view all the answers

What idea did Enlightenment philosophers promote about society?

People enter a social contract for safety Signup and view all the answers

What role did public executions play in society pre-18th century?

To reinforce male authority in communities Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant outcome of blaming the Devil for social problems?

Justification of harsh punishments Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the view of society by Enlightenment thinkers?

A collection of free and rational individuals Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant reform suggested by the Classical School?

Criminal matters should be addressed publicly according to the law. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a limitation of the Classical School?

Equal punishments did not allow for personal circumstances. Signup and view all the answers

How does the Classical School of thought view the timing of punishment?

Punishment should occur immediately after the crime. Signup and view all the answers

What principle does the Classical School advocate regarding laws?

Laws should guarantee individual rights and equality. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key contributions of the Classical School to criminal law?

Equality before the law became a fundamental principle. Signup and view all the answers

What was a primary goal of Neoclassical criminologists?

To allow for individualizing sentences based on offender characteristics Signup and view all the answers

The Statistical School was primarily associated with which of the following methodologies?

Statistical methods Signup and view all the answers

According to the Statistical School, criminality is largely a result of what?

Natural causes discovered through scientific methods Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT considered by Neoclassical criminologists when individualizing sentences?

Criminal history Signup and view all the answers

Which school of thought emphasized the influence of external social forces on behavior?

Statistical School Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the Positive School's view on crime causation?

Crime is caused by biological factors beyond an individual’s control Signup and view all the answers

What limitation did the Statistical School face during its time?

Limited influence and recognition in the field Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the approach of Lombroso and the Positive School?

Employing the scientific method to study crime Signup and view all the answers

What was a major criticism made by Beccaria regarding the justice system of the time?

It involved cruelty and inhumanity. Signup and view all the answers

What assumption is the Classical theory of crime based on?

People are rational beings who weigh consequences. Signup and view all the answers

According to the Classical theory, what is considered the most effective form of punishment?

Punishment that is swift and certain. Signup and view all the answers

What did Beccaria’s essay emphasize about the nature of laws and punishments?

Punishments should correspond to the severity of the crime. Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the consequences of the Classical School's influence on criminal justice?

Focus on humanitarian reforms in justice. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the Classical School, what is meant by the term 'social contract'?

A voluntary agreement giving up some freedom for security. Signup and view all the answers

What key reform did the Classical School advocate for regarding the penalties for crimes?

Penalties should be proportional and not excessive. Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of reforms proposed by Classical theorists?

To create a fair and just legal system. Signup and view all the answers

What was a key reason Lombroso's theories were accepted during his time?

They were scientific and placed blame on the individual. Signup and view all the answers

How did Lombroso distinguish criminals in his theories?

By observing physical differences known as stigmata. Signup and view all the answers

Which category did Lombroso not include in his classification of offenders?

Sociopaths Signup and view all the answers

What was a common belief about the cause of unusual phenomena prior to the 18th century?

Evil spirits and magic were thought to be responsible. Signup and view all the answers

What assumption did Lombroso make about individuals in prison?

They were criminals while free people were not. Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the criticisms of Lombroso's methodology?

His measurements were often sloppy and disorganized. Signup and view all the answers

According to Judeo-Christian teachings, what is one explanation for sinful behavior?

Humans are tempted by the Devil but can resist. Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic did Lombroso associate with robbers?

Quick-moving, shifting eyes. Signup and view all the answers

What key principle characterizes the Classical School of criminology?

People have free will and make rational choices. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following criticisms was directed at the Classical School?

It ignored psychological explanations of crime. Signup and view all the answers

What reasoning did Lombroso provide for women being less criminal?

They possessed maternal instincts and piety. Signup and view all the answers

Who did Lombroso classify as having criminal behavior due to mental illness?

Criminally insane Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of crime did the Positive School seek to address?

Biological and environmental causes of crime. Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant influence of the Positive School on the field of criminology?

It encouraged the search for biological causes of crime. Signup and view all the answers

What is the view of possession in pre-18th century theories of crime?

It claims wrongdoers are controlled by evil spirits. Signup and view all the answers

Which area of research did the Positive School influence in the early 20th century?

Biological explanations of criminality. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Early Theories of Criminology

Prior to the 18th century, theories of crime were rooted in religious beliefs and superstition. Widespread belief existed in evil spirits and magic. People attributed unusual natural occurrences to evil spirits, leading to the belief that human behaviour was also influenced by them.
Judeo-Christian teachings offered two perspectives: Temptation, where humans have free will, or Possession, where wrongdoers were believed to be possessed by evil spirits. Severe and often fatal methods were used to remove these spirits.
Religious and political elites used blaming social problems on evil spirits to silence rebellion and divert attention from their failings.
Drawing and quartering was a common, horrific punishment during the Middle Ages.
Witches were scapegoats for anger, and often women, especially those economically independent, were accused. Their presence in communities challenged existing male-dominated power structures, and public executions reasserted male authority. Thousands were executed for witchcraft between the 15th and 17th centuries.
The Scientific Revolution during the Enlightenment caused a paradigm shift in thinking toward systematic doubt and empirical validation. This shift moved away from religious superstition to naturalistic explanations and the scientific method (observation). This prompted scientific approaches to understanding crime and criminal behaviour.
Enlightenment philosophers posited a social contract, where individuals voluntarily surrendered some freedoms for a safer society, and the state was responsible for security and adhering to citizens' rights.
The Classical School of criminology, emerging in the 18th and early 19th centuries, was the first formal school of thought in the field. It reformed the administration of justice and the prison system.
Cesare Beccaria's Essay on Crime and Punishments (1764), critiqued the cruelty, inhumanity, and arbitrariness of existing justice systems, advocating for punishments proportionate to the harm caused. In 18th century England, 350 offenses were punishable by death.
The Classical Theory posited that individuals are rational beings who calculate the consequences of their actions, and therefore penalties deter crime. Justice and punishment should fit the crime and be swift and certain, proportional to the harm, to maintain a functioning social contract. The principle of equal punishment for equal crimes did not account for individual circumstances.
Specific Reforms introduced by the Classical school included eliminating executions for minor offenses, clear and accessible laws, separate lawmaking and judging powers, and public proceedings.
Neoclassical Theory introduced flexibility to the laws and justice system, considering individual circumstances (e.g., age, socio-economic status). Judges were given more discretion.
The Statistical School emerged in the first half of the 19th century, using statistics to explore social issues and structural explanations of crime, associating with Positivism. They rejected the notion of humans as rational beings; instead seeing behaviour (including criminality) as a result of social conditions.
Scholars gathered data in this school to look at crime patterns over time and space, concluding they stemmed from social forces. This work anticipated later sociological theories.
The Positive School (associated with Lombroso) used scientific methods to study crime, proposing that crime is caused by biological factors. They viewed criminals as a distinct physical type or atavists (less evolved).
Lombroso believed physical characteristics (“stigmata”) like facial features, could predict criminality. Women were deemed less criminal due to maternal instincts, piety, and lack of passion. Offenders were categorized (e.g., criminals of passion, epileptics, criminaloids). His scientific methods were flawed and unsystematic.
Subsequent researchers like Goring and Hooton attempted to validate or build upon Lombroso's theories, studying physical and intellectual differences and associating them with crime. Hooton advocated for the segregation of "unfit individuals", leading to the eugenics movement.
Somatotype theory, developed by Sheldon in the 1950s, categorized body types (endomorphs, ectomorphs, mesomorphs) with purported personality correlations to crime.
Goddard suggested feeblemindedness and criminality were inherited traits, measuring IQs among prisoners. His research lacked consideration of social factors.
The eugenics movement, influenced by poor research, led to the involuntary sterilization of individuals with intellectual disabilities, highlighting the potential harm of applying biological theories to legal policy.
Modern research continues to investigate the role of biological and social factors in determining criminal behaviour.

Summary

Early criminology theories, initially grounded in religious beliefs and superstition, shifted to scientific approaches.
Classical school theories focused on rational actors and proportionate punishment. While influential, they were rigid.
Positivist theories explored biological factors, influenced early legal systems regarding criminals. However, these were often problematic in methodology and conclusions.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the treatment methods for individuals believed to be possessed, the role of elites in societal distractions, and the viewpoints of Enlightenment philosophers. Explore the evolution of thought from pre-18th century accused witchcraft to the principles laid out by the Classical School of Criminology.