Positivism (Sociology)

A major theoretical movement of the 20th century. The Positivist School rejected the notion of free will put forth by the Classical School, which stipulated that crime is a result of a conscious and free choice made by individuals. While the Classical School emphasized reforms in the law to tackle the issue of crime, positivist criminology aimed to explain criminal behavior through scientific experimentation and research. Cesare Lombroso is considered to be the father of positivism. With his theory of born criminals, Lombroso argued that individuals who engage in the most serious forms of offending tend to have primitive instincts and are derived from a lower life form (“atavistic throwback”). These individuals have very distinct physical characteristics (head size, asymmetry of the face, body type, etc.). In short, crime is inevitable for such individuals, as their actions are determined by their physical and psychological deficiencies. Other well-known positivists include Enrico Ferri, Raffaele Garofalo, [Page 395]and William Sheldon. Contemporary positivist criminology remains concerned with the etiology of crime. For more information, see Lombroso (1876).