The Evolution of Lombrosos Theory

The Evolution of Lombroso’s Theory
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The Evolution of Lombroso’s Theory
Biological inheritance according to Lombroso was the main factor contributing to criminal tendencies in living criminals. His theory was based on a biological relationship seen in primitive beings that were existent during the pre-historic era. Lombroso based his findings on theories like atavism, which is basically an evolutionary throwback present in a living criminal that is reminiscent of an ancestral type of biological behavior. His theory was widely opposed since it only showed a relationship between purely biological anatomical characteristics that had no relationship whatsoever with the way the human brain works. After a period of logical challenges from his contemporaries, Lombroso changed his theory and began exploring social behavior that had an influence on criminal tendencies while still trying to relate it to anatomical characteristics that he had suggested in his theory of biological determinism (Siegel 4).
Instead of focusing on physical characteristics to explain criminal behavior in humans, and the atavistic approach, oth...