Laughing at Lombroso

“Social malaise... demonic agitation:” anarchism according to the criminology of the French physician Alexandre Lacassagne

“…There was therefore a systematic relationship between the “criminal man” and “prehistoric man” (or “savage man”). The roots of this atavism could be attested by the morphology of some parts of the body of delinquents, which Lombroso claimed were very similar to the those found in some carnivorous plants, rodents, primates, and also fetuses of Homo sapiens ( Spierenburg, 2016 , p.384; Knepper, 2017 , p.54). A criminal act, he went on, was a reflection of the madness caused by an “atavistic animality” from which subjects could not escape.…”

“…Horn (2003, p.4) also mentions that this bifurcation ended up being reinforced in the historiography from the 1970s and 1980s, which produced very reductionist interpretations. However, this opposition has since been contested by foreign researchers, who have relativized the differences between the two “schools.” 7 These studies have shown that the French and Italian criminologists of the second half of the nineteenth century did in fact attribute criminal behavior to multiple factors, refuting the idea that any single cause was ever held as determining such behavior ( Wetzell, 2000 ; Becker, Wetzell, 2006; Mucchielli, 2006 ; Knepper, 2017 ).…”

“…From the theses Lacassagne put forward in L’assassinat du Président Carnot , it can be understood that there were a number of criminological theories that addressed anarchists and their actions in circulation at the time. This then enables a new perspective to be taken on historiographies from Brazil ( Samis, 2002 ; Lopreato, 2003 ; Avelino, 2010 ; Monteiro, 2010 ) and elsewhere ( Pick, 1989 , p.109; Jensen, 2001 , 2004 ; Ansolabehere, 2005 ; Sierra, 2009 ; Knepper, 2017 ; Salvatore, 2017 ) that have given precedence to the role of Italian criminal anthropology in the context of anarchy, especially the propositions of Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909) formulated in Il delitto politico (1890) and Gli anarchici (1894) ( Calafato, 2013 ). Despite the importance of these publications, they end up overshadowing the work of French criminologists – especially Lacassagne – concerning anarchism and political felonies.…”

Reawakening criminology: the importance of scientific method and inquiry in policing practice

“…Much of this anti-scientific sentiment and inquiry reverts back to Lombroso and his now debunked work of the late 19th century as the basis for critical claims. Knepper (2017) provides a more balanced account, noting that while Lombroso’s work is not considered seriously, even scoffed at today, and there is a clear rejection of his “born criminal” hypothesis, he laid the foundations for having scientific method and inquiry in criminology that has paved the way for contemporary applications, for instance, in the realm of criminal hereditary (Sirgiovanni, 2017), biosocial criminology and the mental health of offenders (Delisi, 2013). Accepting this aspect of criminology, as Knepper (2017 p. 61) points out, does “not excuse Lombroso for his imperialism, racism or sexism”, yet overlooking and ignoring this component of the discipline has been detrimental to the trajectory of criminology both in theoretical and practical research and applications.…”

Mind Reading Through Body Language in Early Spanish Criminology and Juridical Psychology

“…Knepper summed up the resulting paradox, asking how the person promoting the most laughable ideas about crime ever published was able to initiate a worldwide movement for the study of criminology. 22 To answer this question, Knepper mentions several factors, two of which seem to me the most crucial: first, Lombroso's work is numerous and varied, offering a wealth of inspiring (even if ambiguous and inconsistent) material and theories; thus, there are "multiple Lombrosos," 23 each with something to say to various audiences. Second, he appealed to the public because he expressed his ideas in dramatic-emotional language and promoted them in a tactile way through exhibitions and museums.…”