Early theories of Crime

• Objectives:
• Learn about “pre-scientific” theories of crime

• Discuss the context in which modern explanations of crime and criminality were
developed.

• Identify the founders of the Classical School, the key principles of this approach, and
the impact of this school on our legal system.

• Outline the criticisms of the Classical school and the changes in the legal process that
were influenced by the Positive criminologists
• Describe the basic features of the Positive School and outline its approach and key
principles
What is theory?
• What is theory?
• Is there a theory that explains all crime
What is theory
• Set of verifiable principles about a thing or behaviour.
• Can we come up with a theory about the elements of a table? What is
a table?
Pre-Enlightenment Theories of crime
• PRIOR TO THE 1700s AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT
CRIME WAS EQUATED WITH SIN
Demonology
• Everything that happened was as a result of forces of good and evil

• Led to very harsh treatment of offenders who were seen as threats to the religious order as well as to the social
order
• torture, capital punishment for hundreds of offences
• Trial by ordeal (hot water, hot iron, dunking) or combat
two explanations for the role evil spirits play in sinful behaviour:
1. Temptation
– Humans have free will and can choose their behaviour.
– However, the Devil tempts; righteous believers are told they can resist the Devil through their faith.
– Those who are sinful are weak and morally inferior.
2. Possession
– Wrongdoers are possessed by evil spirits and no longer able to choose between good and evil.
– Evidence of guilt determined through trials is intended to differentiate between the righteous and the sinner.
– Severe and often fatal methods used to rid a person of such spirits.
Demonology
• Religious and political elites sought to silence rebellious people in
times of social upheaval.
• Blaming social problems on the Devil and other evil spirits was a
means to achieve two objectives:
• 1. It diverted attention from the failings of elites and placed blame on
individuals who were “possessed” by the Devil.
• 2. Those in power made themselves indispensable by saying only they could
stop the Devil.
Pre-Enlightenment Theories
• Those challenging the status quo
were branded as heretics and
subject to extreme punishment
• https://www.history.com/topics/col
onial-america/salem-witch-trials

• Witches became a scapegoat for

anger:
– The accused were mostly women,
especially independent women not
protected by a male.
– Witch hunts reinforced the power of
the existing social hierarchy
The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution
• The scientific revolution brought during the Enlightenment caused a
change in thinking.
• The focus was on systematic doubt, and empirical and sensory verification of
ideas.
• Ideas shifted to naturalistic explanation based on reason and the scientific
method (observation).
• Which prompted a more scientific approach to understanding crime
and criminal behaviour