HOW TO RETAIN YOUR SOUL AND BE A POLIITICAL DEVIANT (FROM DEVIANT INTERPRETATIONS, 1979, BY DAVID DOWNES AND PAUL ROCK - SEE NCJ-58238)

• NCJ Number: 58243
• Author(s): D BEYLEVELD; P WILES
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: Martin Robertson and Co Ltd
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

THE ARGUMENT THAT THE MODEL OF MAN ESPOUSED BY THE NEW CRIMINOLOGISTS IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THEIR VISION OF A CRIMINOLOGICAL DEVIANCE THEORY AS A SOCIAL THEORY IS PRESENTED.

Abstract

THE NEW CRIMINOLOGISTS ENCOURAGE THE EMBRACE OF NON-DETERMINISTIC THEORIES AND THE USE OF PROGRAMMATIC STATEMENTS FLOWING FROM THEM. THE NEW CRIMINOLOGISTS, HOWEVER, HAVE NOT EVEN BEGUN TO TACKLE THE ISSUES INVOLVED IN A SYSTEMATIC FASHION. FOR EXAMPLE, SINCE ALL EVENTS MUST HAVE MATERIAL CAUSES, TO CITE SUCH CAUSES IN EXPLANATION IS TO CITE DETERMINISM. IN THIS SENSE, DETERMINISM WOULD APPEAR TO BE A NECESSARY PRESUPPOSITION IN THE SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE. A NON-DETERMINISTIC OREINTATION IS THEREFORE NONSCIENTIFIC. A COHERENT DENIAL OF DETERMINISM WHICH HAS PROGRAMMATIC IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL PRACTICES OR PRAXIS IS POSSIBLE, BUT THE NEW CRIMINOLOGISTS HAVE SO FAR CONDUCTED THEIR CRITIQUES IN TOO SHALLOW A MANNER. THEIR UNCLEAR VISION OF THE GOOD SOCIETY IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THEIR NEBULOUS CONCEPTIONS OF HUMAN POTENTIAL AND OF DETERMINISM AND FREE WILL. NEW CRIMINOLOGISTS NOT ONLY WANT TO ASSERT PARTIAL DETERMINISM, THEY ALSO WISH TO CLAIM THAT A SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY ENTAILS POLITICAL COMMITMENTS. TAKEN TO ITS LOGICAL CONCLUSIONS, THE NEW CRIMINOLOGISTS' VISION OF THE GOOD SOCIETY WOULD PLACE NO CONSTRAINTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS. THE NEW CRIMINOLOGISTS MUST FIRST PROVIDE AN ELABORATE DESCRIPTION OF THE GOOD AND RATIONAL SOCIETY AND THEY WILL NEED TO ESPOUSE AN EPISTEMOLOGY WHICH MAKES SUCH A CONCEPTION POSSIBLE. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. SEE NCJ-58238. (LWM)