Criminal Sociology

by Enrico Ferri

"Criminal Sociology" by Enrico Ferri is a criminological work originally published in 1884. This influential text represents the positive school of criminology, shifting focus from crime itself to the criminal as a product of physical and social environment. Ferri examines criminal anthropology, statistical patterns of criminal behavior, and proposes practical reforms for penal legislation. The work combines anthropological research with criminal statistics and law, challenging traditional theological and ethical perspectives in favor of physical and social science approaches to understanding crime causation and prevention.