Criminality and economic conditionsBonger, Willem Adriaan
General
Criminality and economic conditions
Bonger, Willem Adriaan
Crime -- Economic aspects
In the sixth chapter, in which Dr. Corre examines the relative
importance of the principal sociological factors, he sums up his
opinion as to the influence of economic conditions upon criminality.
Too great wealth and too great poverty are both causes of crime. “The
first corrupts and the second degrades; both lead to crime through
lessening the resistance to temptation that promises the satisfaction
of wants fictitious or real, and when they both appear in the same
environment, they give more energy to bad impulses, more violence to
conflicts.” [160] This is why the agricultural class, in which moderate
prosperity prevails, is the least criminal. The means by which this
condition of things is to be improved is complex: “it is not altogether
to be found in the solution of the question of wages; it is chiefly to
be found in a better system for making the masses moral, in the
reduction of the influences which tempt them to improvidence and
idleness, lead them to drunkenness and alcoholism.” [161]
—The second part of this work will show sufficiently why, in my
opinion, the treatment of Dr. Corre is confused and incomplete,
notwithstanding the truth of some observations made by him with regard
to the subject which concerns us. The criticism of the author upon the
organization of society at present is that of the petty bourgeoisie; he
expects salvation only from the multiplication of small holdings, and
hopes that this will make mankind happier. However, the development of
large industries makes me believe that this hope will never be
realized.—
IV.
L. MANOUVRIER.
Of all the adherents of the “hypothesis of the environment,” Professor
Manouvrier is undoubtedly the one who has set forth this doctrine in
the clearest manner. Being an anthropologist it is evident that he has
not given his attention more especially to economic conditions. But it
seems to me that what he says in opposition to the theory of Professor
Lombroso, and in support of that of the environment, is of the greatest
importance. I will give a résumé, therefore, of his “Genèse normale du
crime”, [162] and in doing so will quote his own words as far as
possible, in order to give their full value. Although there is no
connection between the doctrine of Professor Lombroso and his
adherents, and this work, I shall be forced to follow his whole
demonstration, because of the interlacing of the theories of the
Italian school and the detailed exposition of the doctrine of the
“environment.”
The doctrine of the innate character of crime and the phrenology of
Gall and Spurzheim are closely connected. Gall thought that he had
discovered in the brain the organs of homicide and theft, without,
however, denying the importance of surroundings, so that he explained a
case of theft by means of circumstances when the bump of theft was
wanting in the thief.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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