Essay Sample on Theories of Cesare Lombroso: Born Criminal

Cesare Lombroso was an Italian criminologist, surgeon, and author who is known as the "Father of Modern Criminology." Lombroso criticized the assumption that criminal behavior is a part of human nature. Instead, he emphasized the phrase "born criminal" to underline his thesis that crime was tied to genetics. That's something we've all heard before, right? That a person was destined to be a criminal from birth? Cesare's findings reveal that the expression does, in fact, apply to the world of criminology.

Lombroso was born in Verona, Italy, on November 6, 1835. He came from a Jewish background. Avonne Lombroso, his father, was a businessman, and Zefora Levi, was his mother. Cesare learned a variety of different subjects and had a wide range of interests. Including archeology, literature, and linguistics. He began his studies at the University of Padua before moving on to Vienna and Paris to further his education. He graduated with his medical degree from the University of Pavia.

As stated above, his theory was that crime was primarily tied to genetics, and that criminals should be detected based on physical features such as, hawk-like noses, small wandering eyes, as well as thick and close eyebrows. Lombroso was important because he was one of the first people in history to investigate crime using scientific methods.

It all started in Italy in 1871 when a scientist and a criminal met. The criminal was a man named Guiseppe Viella, a famous thief and arsonist. Cesare Lombroso was the scientist, and he had launched his journey working in lunatic asylums and then became interested in crime while studying Italian soldiers. He then began evaluating detainees in Italian jails in order to determine the differences between lunatics, criminals, and ordinary people. Giuseppe Viella piqued Lombroso's interest due to his mind-boggling speed and proclivity for boasting about his abilities. Lombroso performed an autopsy after Viellas death and discovered that this criminal had an indentation on the back of his skull similar to that observed in apes. Cesare came to the conclusion that certain criminals were born with a desire to harm, based on his evidence from criminals he had studied. “Thus were explained anatomically the enormous jaws, high cheekbones, prominent superciliary arches, solitary lines in the palms, extreme size of the orbits, handle shaped or sessile ears found in criminals, savages and apes, insensibility to pain, extremely acute sight, tattooing, excessive idleness, love of irgies and the irresistible craving for evil for its own sake, the desire not only to extinguish life in the victim, but to mutilate the corpse, tear its flesh, and drink its blood.” Lombroso once described. 

Essentially, Lombroso claimed that crime was hereditary and that criminals should be detected by physical characteristics that proved them as atavistic or primitive, such as an expressive face and manual skill. Rapists had 'jug ears,' while habitual murders had cold glassy stares, bloodshot eyes, and large hawk-like noses. Lombroso, though, did not limit his views to male criminals; he co-wrote his first book to investigate the causes of female crime, coming to the conclusion, among other things, that female criminals were far more ruthless than male criminals; they tended to be lustful and immodest; they were shorter and more wrinkled; and they had darker hair and smaller skulls than 'normal' women. They did, however, have less baldness, according to Lombroso. Cesare got inspiration from his genius past discoveries and produced another book which was called ‘Criminal Man’ in 1876. Correspondingly, he earned the title“ The father of modern criminology.”

He not only influenced the work of other criminal anthropologists around Europe, but he also carried out many of his own tests to support his beliefs. These included bizarre contraptions to measure various bodily parts, as well as more abstract concepts like pain sensitivity and a tendency to lie. In fact, it was Lombroso who invented the very well known 'lie detector.'

Lombroso used several devices for multiple different reasons. A hydrosphygraph was used to examine changes in blood pressure in his suspects, which included both offending, and 'normal' imagery. Their left arm was hooked to the machine, while their right arm was attached to a Ruhmkorff induction coil. Both are bothersome. Electric shocks and the sound of a fired gun, for example, are both unpleasant. Music, food, and money for instance, is pleasant. Both unpleasant, and pleasant were shown, and their blood pressure was recorded to examine the changes. However, there was an issue with this invention.  The results were often chaotic, making the conclusions inaccurate and untrustworthy. 

This man was endlessly curious about everything to do with crime, as well as criminals and their motivations to commit crimes. He subsequently began to gather artifacts created by inmates he had come across during his career. He also collected skeletons and skulls, as well as death masks from many offenders who had been executed. Lombroso established a museum for these artifacts in 1892. After closing in 1942, this museum reopened in Turin in 2010. One of the main ones was Lombroso’s “head in a jar” of preservatives, which he agreed would be donated upon his death (in 1909).

Believe it or not, Lombroso wasn’t just a criminologist. He had other interests such as hypnotism, the paranormal, and spiritualism, to be specific. Because he was one of the first to analyze and classify sexual activities, he was also regarded as an early sexologist. In his book 'Criminal Woman,' published in 1893, he discussed adultery, frigidity, lesbianism, masturbation, and premarital sex, as well as the causes and characteristics of prostution. His interest began in 1882 when he asked to examine the 14- year old daughter of a family friend. She was diagnosed with hysteria and had been vomiting, sleepwalking, and complaining of fatigue. Lombroso came to the conclusion that this girl could see into the future and could explain what others were doing from afar. She was also said to be able to see, read and smell with other parts of her body. Lombroso was unable to provide any explanation for this.

Another famous case was what he called ‘The case of the haunted cellar.’ A family of wine merchants contacted him because they believed one of their wine cellars was being attacked by invisible intruders. Cesare walked down to the cellar when he came to see what had happened. By the time he left, the bottles had started to fall. 15 had been broken, as witnessed by Lombroso. Again, he couldn't express what he'd seen.

Weren’t we all convinced at one point that ghosts aren’t real and that it’s all a myth? Well, Lombroso earned himself yet another name. He had also been described as a founding father of parapsychology. He studied Eusapia Palladino, a psychic medium, and took part in her seances. A number of spirits appeared. In 1892, he saw the medium tied to a camp bed. This persuaded Lombroso, among other witnesses, that the spiritual world was in fact a reality, and he saw it as his responsibility to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt (with the help of science) that ghosts, after all, do exist. 

Lombroso published his last book after his death in 1909. This book spoke about the biology of the spiritual world. As expected, his research into ghosts, poltergeists, telepathy, and levitation was forgotten about. However, it did add onto his ideas over time.

Lombroso was the first to use scientific methods to study crime, and inspired others to do so as well. Lombroso's concepts are being considered in neurocriminology today. Examining whether or not brain injuries or genetic abnormalities can lead to criminality or if violent behavior is caused by a clinical disorder. Studies have shown that there may actually be a genetic tie to criminal behavior, and personality traits such as criminality can relate to facial features. At the end of the day, the “born criminal” might not be as ridiculous and foolish as you think it is.

Cesare Lombroso has been a great inspiration for me in a variety of ways. His thoughts and points of view fascinate me. I'd say Lombroso piqued my interest in criminology and made me want to learn more about it. Researching him gave me a better understanding of the various challenges that might be encountered in this field of work.