The Historical Roots of Criminology
| Author | M. Grunhut |
| Published date | 01 January 1961 |
| Date | 01 January 1961 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X6103400105 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DR.
M.
GRUNHUT,
M.A.
Dr. Griinhut, former Reader in Criminology in the University
of
Oxford, discusses the role
of
the great criminologists
of
the past.
Our readers will recall Dr. Griinhut's masterly and succinct article,
The
Nature
and
Scope
of
Criminology, which appeared in our
January, 1959 issue.
The
Historical
Roots
of
~
..
iminology
CRIMINOLOGY
IS
Anewcomer in the traditional field of academic
studies.
It
has made rapid progress, and at present growing numbers
of
new research projects are being undertaken by criminologists in
nearly every country. As a practical study, criminology will be
judged by its fruits,
but
for a full assessment
of
its significance one
has also to look back to the historical foundations on which crimino-
. logical methods
and
theories have been built.
The
history
of
science
is a history
of
scientists. Nothing could be more fascinating
than
to
trace the progress
of
modern medicine to the discoveries of eminent
physicians, or to follow up the spectacular achievements
of
natural
science in the lives
and
efforts of great scholars in physics
and
chemistry. It was, therefore, apraiseworthy idea
of
the editor
of
the
American Journal
of
Criminal Law, Criminology and Police
Science to brief anumber of international experts to write essays
on the life
and
work of some
of
the great figures
of
the past who,
in one way or another, anticipated
modern
criminological research
and
made the growth of present-day criminology possible. After
the essays
had
appeared in
that
Journal, the editor invited
Dr.
Hermann
Mannheim, the distinguished English criminologist,
to introduce
and
publish the whole series as a
book
which has the
appropriate title Pioneers in Criminology',
The criminologist has to carry
out
his work as an interdisciplinary
study, since he must rely on contributions from medicine
and
psychology as well as from social
and
legal research. Accordingly,
the pioneers represent various academic subjects and professions.
There are physicians, sociologists,
and
lawyers; there is a prison
administrator
and
aprison architect. The volume contains 17 papers
sandwiched between ascholarly introduction by
Hermann
Mann-
heim and a critical summary by the American Professor Jeffery.
The series begins with Cesare Beccaria, the young Italian writer
who, in 1764,
took
the whole
of
Europe by storm with his small
book
on
Crime
and
Punishment.
It
was the most effective criticism
of
1
HERMANN
MANNHEIM
(Editor): Pioneers in Criminology. Stevens. 45s.
January-February 1961 19
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