The majority of criminals who are not in penitentiaries, belong to a higher class. They are marked, however, by the atrophy of certain activities of consciousness. The born criminal, invented by Lombroso, does not exist. But there are born defectives who become criminals. In reality, many criminals are normal. They are often more clever than policemen and judges. Sociologists and social workers do not meet them during their survey of prisons. The gangsters and crooks, heroes of the cinema and the daily papers, sometimes display normal and even high mental, affective, and esthetic activities. But their moral sense has not developed, This disharmony in the world of consciousness is a phenomenon characteristic of our time. We have succeeded in giving organic health to the inhabitants of the modern city. But, despite the immense sums spent on education, we have failed to develop completely their intellectual and moral activities. Even in the elite of the population, consciousness often lacks harmony and strength. The elementary functions are dispersed, of poor quality, and of low intensity. Some of them may be quite deficient. The mind of most people can be compared to a reservoir containing a small quantity of water of doubtful composition and under low pressure. And that of only a few individuals to a reservoir containing a large volume of pure water under high pressure. Man The Unknown by Alexis Carrel 1935
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 13:57:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015