Lombroso, Cesare

Abstract

Cesare Lombroso, often referred to as the “father of modern criminology,” applied biological positivism to the study of criminal behavior. He is, perhaps, best known for his classification of criminals as born criminals and criminoloids (minor offenders). Born criminals were labeled by Lombroso as atavistic or evolutionary throwbacks. Though his work is often fraught with criticisms, his contributions to anthropology and criminology furthered the use of the scientific method and objective empirical inquiry, which served as an important foundation for future research in criminology.