LS227 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Antisocial Personality Disorder, Industrial Revolution, Mechanical And Organic Solidarity
Document Summary
Early theories of criminology: pre 18th century theories of crime. Judeo-christian teachings offer two explanations for the role evil spirits play in sinful behaviour: Link of evil spirits and wrong doing: temptation. Humans have free will and can choose their behaviour. Evidence of guilt determined by trial by re, ordeal, etc. Those challenging the status quo were branded as heretics and subject to extreme punishment: inquisition: half a million put to death in 300 years, witches became a scapegoat for anger. The accused were mostly women, especially independent women not protected by a male. People in power needed a way to focus the attention away from them and onto something else, enter the inquisition and the witch craze. People in power blamed all of the misery, awful social conditions on the devil and other evil spirits in particular witches, worked well for the elites.