The Italian psychiatrist and professor of forensic medicine of the 19th century, Cesare Lombroso, is often called the founder of carder anthropology. This science tries to explain the connection between a person’s anatomical and physiological characteristics and his propensity to commit carding. Lombroso came to the conclusion that there is such a connection, and it is direct: carding are committed by people with a certain appearance and character*.
As a rule, carders have congenital physical and mental defects, Lombroso believed. We are talking about anomalies of the internal and external anatomical structure, characteristic of primitive people and apes. Thus, carders are not made, but rather born. Whether a person will be a carder or not depends only on his innate predisposition, and each type of carding has its own anomalies.
Lombroso devoted his entire life to the development of this theory. He examined 383 skulls of deceased and 3839 skulls of living carders. In addition, the scientist studied the body characteristics (pulse, temperature, bodily sensitivity, intelligence, habits, illnesses, handwriting) of 26,886 carders and 25,447 respectable citizens.
Appearance of a typical rapist
Large bulging eyes, plump lips, long eyelashes, a flattened and crooked nose. Most often they are lean and rickety blonde, sometimes hunchbacked.
Appearance of a typical carder
An irregular small skull, an elongated head, a straight nose (often turned up at the base), a running or, conversely, tenacious gaze, black hair and a sparse beard.
Appearance of a typical killer
Large skull, short head (width greater than height), sharp frontal sinus, voluminous cheekbones, long nose (sometimes curved down), square jaws, huge eye orbits, protruding quadrangular chin, fixed glassy gaze, thin lips, well-developed fangs.
The most dangerous killers most often have black, curly hair, a sparse beard, short hands, excessively large or, on the contrary, too small earlobes.
Appearance of a typical carder
The face is pale, the eyes are small and stern, the nose is crooked, the head is bald. In general, the appearance of carders is quite good-natured.
Lombroso was also able to identify the features of the handwriting of various types of carders. The handwriting of murderers, robbers and robbers is distinguished by elongated letters, curvilinearity and definite features at the end of letters. Thieves' handwriting is characterized by extended letters, without sharp outlines or curvilinear endings.
Lombroso believed that people from the lower class become murderers, robbers and rapists. Representatives of the middle and upper classes are more likely to be professional swindlers.
Lombroso's reputation suffered greatly when the Nazis began to use his ideas - they measured the skulls of concentration camp prisoners before sending them to the ovens. During the Soviet period, the doctrine of the born carder was also criticized for its contradiction to the principle of legality, anti-nationality and reactionary nature.
As far as we were able to find out, Lombroso’s theory was never used in legal proceedings - even the scientist himself did not see any practical value in it, as he stated at one scientific debate: “I do not work in order to give my research practical application in the field of jurisprudence; As a scientist, I serve science only for science's sake." Nevertheless, the concept of a carder person he proposed has come into common use, and his developments are still used in physiognomy, carder anthropology, sociology and psychology.
* Information taken from the following books: Cesare Lombroso. "Criminal Man" Milgard. 2005; Mikhail Shterenshis. "Cesare Lombroso". IsraDon. 2010
(c) https://pravo.ru/review/view/140647/
As a rule, carders have congenital physical and mental defects, Lombroso believed. We are talking about anomalies of the internal and external anatomical structure, characteristic of primitive people and apes. Thus, carders are not made, but rather born. Whether a person will be a carder or not depends only on his innate predisposition, and each type of carding has its own anomalies.
Lombroso devoted his entire life to the development of this theory. He examined 383 skulls of deceased and 3839 skulls of living carders. In addition, the scientist studied the body characteristics (pulse, temperature, bodily sensitivity, intelligence, habits, illnesses, handwriting) of 26,886 carders and 25,447 respectable citizens.
Appearance of the carders
Lombroso identified a number of physical signs ("stigmata"), which, in his opinion, characterize a person endowed with carder inclinations from birth. This is an irregular shape of the skull, a narrow and sloping forehead (or a bifurcated frontal bone), asymmetry of the face and eye sockets, and overdeveloped jaws. Red-haired carders are extremely rare. Most often, carding are committed by brunettes and brown-haired men. Brunettes prefer to steal or commit arson, while brown-haired men are prone to murder. Blondes are sometimes found among rapists and carders.Appearance of a typical rapist
Large bulging eyes, plump lips, long eyelashes, a flattened and crooked nose. Most often they are lean and rickety blonde, sometimes hunchbacked.
Appearance of a typical carder
An irregular small skull, an elongated head, a straight nose (often turned up at the base), a running or, conversely, tenacious gaze, black hair and a sparse beard.
Appearance of a typical killer
Large skull, short head (width greater than height), sharp frontal sinus, voluminous cheekbones, long nose (sometimes curved down), square jaws, huge eye orbits, protruding quadrangular chin, fixed glassy gaze, thin lips, well-developed fangs.
The most dangerous killers most often have black, curly hair, a sparse beard, short hands, excessively large or, on the contrary, too small earlobes.
Appearance of a typical carder
The face is pale, the eyes are small and stern, the nose is crooked, the head is bald. In general, the appearance of carders is quite good-natured.
Features of carders
“I myself have observed that during a thunderstorm, when epileptics have more frequent seizures, prisoners in prison also become more dangerous: they tear their clothes, break furniture, beat servants,” wrote Lombroso. In his opinion, carders have reduced sensitivity of sensory organs and pain sensitivity. They are not able to realize the immorality of their actions, so repentance is unknown to them.Lombroso was also able to identify the features of the handwriting of various types of carders. The handwriting of murderers, robbers and robbers is distinguished by elongated letters, curvilinearity and definite features at the end of letters. Thieves' handwriting is characterized by extended letters, without sharp outlines or curvilinear endings.
The character and lifestyle of carders
According to Lombroso's theory, carders are characterized by a desire for vagrancy, shamelessness, and laziness. Many of them have tattoos. Persons prone to carding are characterized by boasting, pretense, weakness of character, irritability, highly developed vanity bordering on delusions of grandeur, rapid mood swings, cowardice and morbid irritability. These people are aggressive, vindictive, they are incapable of repentance and do not suffer from remorse. Graphomania can also indicate carder tendencies.Lombroso believed that people from the lower class become murderers, robbers and rapists. Representatives of the middle and upper classes are more likely to be professional swindlers.
Criticism of Lombroso's theory
Even during Lombroso's lifetime, his theory was criticized. Not surprising - many senior government officials had an appearance that completely coincided with the description of born carders. Many are sure that the scientist exaggerated the biological component and completely did not take into account the social component in the cause of carding. Perhaps this is what made Lombroso, towards the end of his life, reconsider some of his views. In particular, he began to argue that the presence of a carder appearance does not necessarily mean that a person has committed a carding - it rather speaks of his tendency to commit illegal acts. If a person of carder appearance is prosperous, he falls into the category of hidden carders who have no external reason to break the law.Lombroso's reputation suffered greatly when the Nazis began to use his ideas - they measured the skulls of concentration camp prisoners before sending them to the ovens. During the Soviet period, the doctrine of the born carder was also criticized for its contradiction to the principle of legality, anti-nationality and reactionary nature.
As far as we were able to find out, Lombroso’s theory was never used in legal proceedings - even the scientist himself did not see any practical value in it, as he stated at one scientific debate: “I do not work in order to give my research practical application in the field of jurisprudence; As a scientist, I serve science only for science's sake." Nevertheless, the concept of a carder person he proposed has come into common use, and his developments are still used in physiognomy, carder anthropology, sociology and psychology.
* Information taken from the following books: Cesare Lombroso. "Criminal Man" Milgard. 2005; Mikhail Shterenshis. "Cesare Lombroso". IsraDon. 2010
(c) https://pravo.ru/review/view/140647/
