Criminological Theory: Assessing Philosophical Assumptions

A fresh and original approach to the study of theories of criminology Criminologists can benefit from questioning the underlying assumptions upon which they rest their work. Philosophy has the ability to clarify our thoughts, inform us of why we think about things the way we do, solve contradictions in our thinking we never knew existed, and even dissolve some dichotomies we thought were cast in stone. One of those dichotomies is free will versus determinism. Criminology must reckon with both free will and agency, as posited by some theories, and determinism, as posited by others—including the ever more influential fields of genetics and biosocial criminology. Criminology Theory: Assessing Philosophical Assumptions examines philosophical concepts such as these in the context of important criminological theories. By examining the philosophical assumptions underlying each theory, students and scholars learn to clarify their own biases and better analyze the implications of a broad range of theories of crime and justice. Offers a fruitful approach to understanding the theories of criminology Covers a wide range of philosophical concepts that are relevant to each major criminological theory Challenges both scholars and advanced students to think deeply about criminal behavior and its causeshttps://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/fac_books/1538/thumbnail.jp