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Strengths and Weaknesses of Biological Positivism

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Strengths and Weaknesses of Biological Explanations of Criminal Behaviour
Positivist criminology began towards the late 18th century and early 19th century and contrasted with Cesare Becharios early ideas of classicism. Positivism which arrived after classicism looked at criminal behaviour from a completely different perspective. Positivism looked at the offender rather than that of the crime. Positivism can be separated into three main areas, Biological, Psychological and Sociological. These three areas give explanations on why the offender commits acts of criminal activity and also help to provide answers to why there is crime in society. In this essay there will be analysis on the biological theory to positivism. In doing so theorists such as Cesare Lombroso, Hans Brunner and Gall will be explored in an aim to explain the strengths and weaknesses of their theories. This essay will feature an insight towards outlining positivism by expressing knowledge into the biological side of the subject.
Biological positivism was focused on the ideas put forward that criminals were born bad. Work by Italian Professor and criminologist Cesare Lombroso spoke about activism and how criminals were people who had not evolved sufficiently enough from our earlier ancestors. The idea criminals not evolving was based on representations of Charles Darwin’s study of evolution and how criminals could in fact be those who are underdeveloped. Lombroso’s ideas were that activism was operational in society and that the people committing crime were simply underdeveloped and abnormal. One study in which Lombroso engaged in was the study of the heads of those who had been executed! By looking at these heads he attempted to try and distinguish any similarities and differences. By doing so he tried to create the facial description of a criminal. He would compare the executed criminals to the law

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