The Myth of the Born Criminal

Download or read book The Myth of the Born Criminal written by Jarkko Jalava and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2015-01-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[I]s psychopathy a brain disorder, as many scientists now claim? Or is it just a reflection of modern society's deepest fears? The Myth of the Born Criminal offers the first comprehensive critique of the concept of psychopathy from the eighteenth-century origins of the born-criminal theory to the latest neuroimaging, behavioural genetics, and statistical studies. Jarkko Jalava, Stephanie Griffiths, and Michael Maraun use their expertise in neuropsychology, psychometrics, and criminology to dispel the myth that psychopathy is a biologically-based condition. Deconstructing the emotive language with which both research scientists and reporters describe the psychopaths among us, they explain how the idea of psychopathy offers a comforting neurobiological solution to the mystery of evil"--Preliminary page.