Criminality and economic conditionsBonger, Willem Adriaan
General
Criminality and economic conditions
Bonger, Willem Adriaan
Crime -- Economic aspects
“No one is ignorant that the educational influences to which one is
subjected during his whole life and especially during infancy, and the
solicitations of self-interest, are exceedingly variable under
different circumstances and for different individuals; and that the
educational influences and the solicitations of self-interest unite
very generally to furnish the motive for criminal conduct and for
honest conduct as well. And it is this that governs every man’s manner
of acting in his relations with others; and it must not be forgotten in
treating of anthropology, whether anatomical, physio-psychological, or
sociological. It is never forgotten in practical life.
“We all know that, whatever our fundamental character may be and the
honest habits that we have been able to form, our manner of conducting
ourselves may vary considerably under the influence of changes in our
environment, and in proportion to those changes. It is a temptation to
which the most austere man would greatly dread to be exposed, and to
which he would never voluntarily expose himself, because he knows that
the tendencies imputed to criminals (said to be atavistic, but all
simply human) are not lacking in himself. These tendencies, when they
have found abundant and honorable means of satisfaction during long
years, become so much the more to be dreaded on this account, and run
great danger of becoming criminal as soon the legal means of
satisfaction disappear. The man who comes to lack these means finds
himself in a much more dangerous situation as far as the likelihood of
his becoming a criminal is concerned, than one who had become
accustomed to privations.” [172]
Professor Manouvrier begins the last section of his study by asking
what is the significance of the anatomical peculiarities observed in
the so-called born-criminals. “The truth probably is that we do find in
a number of criminals in prison more of the lower or abnormal
characteristics than in a like number of persons chosen at random. But
this in no wise proves that those among the criminals who have such
characteristics, have been predestined to crime from their physical
make-up. Those among them who are not so constituted are nevertheless
criminals, and honest men who bear the criminal marks have nevertheless
remained honest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account