criminal psychology-第94章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ecause　each　one　of　these　four　categories　serves　to　connect　a　series　of　phenomena　and　assumes　this　connection　to　be　indubitable；　although　there　is　absolutely　no　necessity　for　it。　When　Machiavelli　says　that　the　world　belongs　to　the　phlegmatic；　he　certainly　did　not　have　in　mind　that　complex　of　phenomena　which　are　habitually　understood　as　the　characteristics　of　the　phlegmatic　humor。　He　wanted　simply　to　say　that　extremes　of　conduct　lead　to　as　little　in　the　daily　life　as　in　politics；　that　everything　must　be　reflected　upon　and　repeatedly　tested　before　its　realization　is　attempted；　that　only　then　can　progress；　even　if　slow；　be　made。　If　he　had　said；　the　world　belongs　to　the　cautious　or　reflective　person；　we　should　not　have　found　his　meaning　to　be　different。

When　we　seek　clearly　to　understand　the　nature　and　culture　of　　an　individual；　an　investigation　into　his　temperament　does　not　help　us　in　the　least。　Let　us　consider　then；　some　other　characteristic　on　which　is　based　the　judgment　of　individuals。　The　proverb　says　that　laughter　betrays　a　man。　If　in　the　theater；　you　know　the　subject　of　laughter；　the　manner　of　laughter；　and　the　point　at　which　laughter　first　occurred；　you　know　where　the　most　educated　and　the　least　educated　people　are。　Schopenhauer　says　that　the　intelligent　man　finds　everything　funny；　the　logical　man　nothing；　and　according　to　Erdmann　（in　ber　die　Dummheit）；　the　distressing　or　laughable　characteristics　of　an　object；　shows　not　its　nature；　but　the　nature　of　the　observer。　It　would　seem　that　the　criminalist　might　save　himself　much　work　by　observing　the　laughter　of　his　subjects。　The　embarrassed；　foolish　snickering　of　the　badly　observing　witness；　the　painful　smile　of　the　innocent　prisoner；　or　the　convicted　penitent；　the　cruel　laughter　of　the　witness　glad　of　the　damage　he　has　done；　the　evil　laughter　of　the　condemning　accomplice；　the　happy；　weak　laughter　of　the　innocent　who　has　adduced　evidence　of　his　innocence；　and　the　countless　other　forms　of　laughter；　all　these　vary　so　much　with　the　character　of　the　laugher；　and　are　so　significant；　that　hardly　anything　compares　with　them　in　value。　When　you　remember；　moreover；　that　concealment　during　laughter　is　not　easy；　at　least　at　the　moment　when　the　laughter　ceases；　you　see　how　very　important　laughter　may　be　in　determining　a　case。

Of　equal　importance　with　laughter　are　certain　changes　which　may　occur　in　people　during　a　very　short　time。　If　we　observe　in　the　course　of　the　daily　life；　that　people；　without　any　apparent　reason；　so　change　that　we　can　hardly　recognize　them；　the　change　becomes　ten　times　more　intense　under　the　influence　of　guilt　or　even　of　imprisonment。　Somebody　said　that　isolation　has　revealed　the　greatest　men；　the　greatest　fools；　and　the　greatest　criminals。　What；　then；　might　be　the　influence　of　compulsory　isolation；　i。　e。；　of　imprisonment！　We　fortunately　do　not　live　in　a　time　which　permits　imprisonment　for　months　and　years　in　even　the　simplest　cases；　but　under　certain　circumstances　even　a　few　days'　imprisonment　may　completely　alter　a　person。　Embitterment　or　wildness　may　exhibit　itself；　just　as　sorrow　and　softness；　during　the　stay　under　arrest。　And　hence；　the　criminalist　who　does　not　frequently　see　and　deal　with　his　subjects　does　not　perform　his　duty。　I　do　not　mean；　of　course；　that　he　should　see　them　for　the　purpose　of　getting　a　confession　out　of　an　attack　of　morbidity；　I　mean　only；　that　this　is　the　one　way　of　getting　a　just　and　correct　notion　of　the　case。　Every　criminalist　of　experience　will　　grant　that　he　sees　the　event；　particularly　the　motives　of　the　criminal；　otherwise　after　the　first　examination　than　after　the　later　ones；　and　that　his　later　notions　are　mainly　the　more　correct　ones。　If　we　set　aside　the　unfortunate　cases　in　which　the　individual　held　for　examination　is　instructed　by　his　prison…mates　and　becomes　still　more　spoiled；　I　might　permit　myself　the　assertion　that　imprisonment　tends　to　show　the　individual　more　correctly　as　he　is；　that　the　strange　surroundings；　the　change　from　his　former　position；　the　opportunity　to　think　over　his　situation　may；　if　there　are　no　opposing　influences；　help　the　criminalist　a　great　deal；　and　this　fact　is　confirmed　in　the　superior　results　of　later　to　earlier　examinations。

In　addition；　the　bodily　condition　and　the　health　of　the　prisoner　change　almost　always。　The　new　mode　of　life；　the　different　food　and　surroundings；　the　lack　of　movement；　the　moral　effect；　work　directly　on　the　body；　and　we　must　confess；　unfortunately；　on　health。　There　are；　however；　cases　in　which　health　has　been　improved　by　imprisonment；　especially　the　health　of　people　who　have　led　a　wild；　irregular；　drunken　life；　or　such　who　have　had　to　worry　and　care　too　much。　But　these　are　exceptions；　and　as　a　rule　the　prisoner's　physique　suffers　a　great　deal；　but　fortunately　for　a　short　time　only。　The　influence　of　such　effects　on　the　mind　is　familiar。　The　bodily　misfortune　gives　a　wide　opening　for　complete　change　in　moral　nature；　health　sustains　the　atheist　in　darkness。　This　fact；　as　mentioned　by　Bain；　may　serve　to　explain　the　origin　of　many　a　confession　which　has　saved　an　innocent　person　at　the　last　moment。

Nor　must　we　forget　that　timeand　for　the　prisoner；　imprisonment　is　time　endowed　with　powereffects　many　an　adjustment　of　extremes。　We　know　that　utter　evil　is　as　rare　as　perfect　virtue。　We　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　latter；　but　we　almost　as　infrequently　meet　the　former。　The　longer　we　deal　with　‘‘bad　men；''　the　more　inclined　are　we　to　see　the　very　summit　of　devilment　as　the　result　of　need　and　friendlessness；　weakness；　foolishness；　flightiness；　and　just　simple；　real；　human　poorness　of　spirit。　Now；　what　we　find　so　redistributed　in　the　course　of　years；　we　often　find　crushed　together　and　fallen　apart　in　a　short　time。　Today　the　prisoner　seems　to　us　the　most　dreadful　criminal；　in　a　few　days；　we　have　calmed　down；　have　learned　to　know　the　case　from　another　side；　the　criminal　has　shown　his　real　nature　more　clearly；　and　our　whole　notion　of　him　has　changed。

I　frequently　think　of　the　simple　story　of　Charles　XII's　sudden　entry　into　Dresden。　The　city　fathers　immediately　called　an　ex…　　traordinary　session　for　the　next　day　in　order　to　discuss；　as　the　Swedish　king　supposed；　what　they　should　have　done　the　day　before。　Every　examined　prisoner　does　the　same　thing。　When　he　leaves　the　court　he　is　already　thinking　of　what　he　should　have　said　differently；　and　he　repeats　his　reflections　until　the　next　examination。　Hence；　his　frequently　almost　inexplicable　variety　of　statements；　and　hence；　also；　the　need　of　frequent　examination。

Finally；　there　is　the　fact　Mittermaier　has　pointed　tothe　importance　of　the　criminalist's　own　culture　and　character。　‘‘If　a　girl　testifies　for　her　lover　and　against　her　brother；　the　question　in　judgment　arises；　which　voice　is　the　more　powerful？　The　judge　will　not　easily　be　able　to　divorce　this　standard　of　judgment　from　himself　and　his　own　view　of　life。''　This　is　a　frequent　occurrence。　You　consider　a　difficult　psychological　case　in　all　its　aspects；　and　suddenly；　without　knowing　how　or　why；　you　have　found　its　solution：　‘‘It　must　have　been　so　and　not　otherwise；　he　has　acted　so　and　so　for　this　reason；　etc。''　A　close　examination　of　such　a　definite　inference　will　convince　you　that　it　is　due　to　the　pathetic　fallacy；　i。　e。；　you　have　so　inferred　because　you　would　have　done　so；　thought　and　desired　so；　under　similar　circumstances。　The　commission　of　the　pathetic　fallacy　is　the　judge's　greatest　danger。


Section　90。　（6）　_Intelligence　and　Stupidity_。

The　three　enemies　of　the　criminalist　are　evil　nature；　untruth；　and　stupidity　or　foolishness。　The　last　is　not　the　least　difficult。　Nobody　is　safe　from　its　attacks；　it　appears　as　the　characteristic　of　mankind　in　general；　in　their　prejudices；　their　preconceptions；　their　selfishness；　and　their　high…riding　nature。　The　criminalist　has　to　fight　it　in　witnesses；　in　jurymen；　and　frequently　in　the　obstinacy；　dunder…　headedness；　and　amusing　self…conceit　of　his　superiors。　It　hinders　him　in　the　heads　of　his　colleagues　and　of　the　defendant；　and　it　is　his　enemy　not　least　frequently　in　his　own　head。　The　greatest　foolishness　is　to　believe　that　you　are　not　yourself　guilty　of　foolishness。　The　cleverest　people　do　the　most　idiotic　things。　He　makes　the　most　progress　who　keeps　in　mind　the　great　series　of　his　own　stupidities；　and　tries　to　learn　from　them。　One　can　only　console　oneself　with　the　belief　that　nobody　else　is　better　off；　and　that　every　stupidity　is　a　basis　for　knowledge。　The　world　is　such　that　every　foolishness　gets　somebody　to　commit　it。

Foolishness　is　an　isolated　property。　It　is　not　related　to　intelligence　as　cold　to　warmth；　Cold　is　the　absence　of　heat；　but　foolishness　　is　not　the　absence　of　intelligence。　Both　are　properties　that　look　in　the　same　direction。　Hence；　it　is　never　possible　to　speak　of　intelligence　or　stupidity　by　itself。　Whoever　deals　with　one　deals　with　the　other；　but　it　would　be　a　mistake　to　conceive　them　as　a　developing　series　at　one　end　of　which　is　intelligence；　and　at　the　other；　stupidity。　The　transition　is　not　only　frequent；　but　there　are　many　remarkable　cases　in　which　one　passes　into　the　other；　gets　mixed　up　with　it；　and　covers　it。　Hence；　a　thing　may　often　be　at　one　and　the　same　time　intelligent　and　stupid；　intelligent　in　one　direction　and　stupid　in　another；　and　it　is　not　incorrect；　therefore；　to　speak　of　clever　stupidities；　and　of　clever　deeds　that　are　heartily　foolish。

The　importance　of　stupidity　is　due　not　only　to　the　fact　that　it　may　lead　to　important　consequences；　but　also　to　the　difficulty　of　discovering　it　in　certain　cases。　It　is　before　all　things　correct；　that　foolish　people　often　seem　to　be　very　wise；　and　that　as　a　rule；　much　intercourse　alone　is　able　to　reveal　the　complete　profundity　of　a　man's　foolishness。　But　in　our　work　we　can　have　little　intercourse　with　the　people　whom　we　are　to　know；　and　there　are；　indeed；　persons　whom　we　take　to　be　foolish　at　the　first　encounter；　and　who　really　are　so　when　we　know　them　better。　And　even　when　we　have　learned　the　kind　and　degree　of　a　man's　foolishness；　we　have　not　learned　his　way　of　expressing　it；　and　that　discovery　requires　much　wisdom。　Moreover；　an　incredible　amount　of　effort；　persistence；　and　slyness　is　often　made　use　of　for　the　purpose　of　committing　an　immense　act　of　foolishness。　Every　one　of　us　knows　of　a　number　of　criminal　cases　that　remained　unexplained　for　a　long　time　simply　because　some　one　related　event　could　be　explained　by　a　stupidity　so　great　as　to　be　unbelievable。　Yet　the　knowledge　that　such　stupidity　actually　exists　could　explain　many　a　similar　matter；　simply　and　easily。　This　is　especially　true　with　regard　to　the　much　discussed　‘‘one　great　stupidity；''　which　the　criminal　commits　in　almost　every　crime。　Assume　that　such　a　stupidity　is　impossible；　and　the　explanation　of　the　case　is　also　impossible。　We　must　never　forget　that　it　is　exactly　the　wise　who　refuse　to　think　of　the　possibility　of　foolishness。　Just　as　everything　is　clean　to　the　cleanly；　and　everything　is　philosophic　to　the　philosopher；　everything　is　wise　to　the　wise。　Hence；　he　finds　it　unintelligible　that　a　thing　may　be　explained　from　the　point　of　view　of　pure　unreason。　His　duty　therefore；　is；　to　learn　as　much　and　as　accurately　as　possible　about　the　nature　of　foolishness。

There　are；　perhaps；　few　books　on