criminal psychology-第105部分

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hen　femininity　is　most　fully　developed。　It　grows　in　the　child；　remains　at　a　constant　level　when　woman　becomes　completely　woman；　and　decreases　when；　in　advanced　age；　the　differences　in　sex　begin　to　disappear。　Very　old　men　and　very　old　women　are　also　in　this　matter　very　close　together。


Section　77。　（e）　Weakness。

‘‘Frailty；　thy　name　is　woman；''　says　Shakespeare；　and　Corvin　explains　this　in　teasing　fashion：　‘‘Women　pray　every　day；　‘Lead　us　not　into　temptation；　for　see；　dear　God；　if　you　do　so　I　can't　resist　it。'　''　Even　Kant＇1＇　takes　feminine　weakness　as　a　distinguishing　criterion：　‘‘In　order　to　understand　the　whole　of　mankind　we　need

＇1＇　Menschenkunde。　Leipzig　1831。

　only　to　turn　our　attention　to　the　feminine　sex；　for　where　the　force　is　weaker　the　tool　is　so　much　the　more　artistic。''　Experienced　criminalists　explain　the　well…known　fact　that　women　are　the　chief　sources　of　anonymous　letters　by　their　weakness。　From　the　physical　inferiority　of　woman　her　mental　inferiority　may　be　deduced；　and　though　we　learn　a　hundred　times　that　small；　weak　men　can　be　mentally　stronger　than　great　and　strong　ones；　it　is；　of　course；　natural；　that　as　a　rule　the　outcome　of　a　powerful　body　is　also　a　powerful　mind。　The　difficulty　is　to　discover　in　what　feminine　weakness　expresses　itself。　The　frequently　joked…about　hen…pecking　of　men　has　been　explained　by　Voltaire　as　the　fulfilment　of　the　divine　purpose　of　taming　men　through　the　medium　of　the　specially　created　instrumentwoman。　Victor　Hugo　calls　men　only　woman's　toys。　‘‘Oh；　this　lofty　providence　which　gives　each　one　its　toy；　the　doll　to　the　child；　the　child　to　the　man；　the　man　to　the　woman；　the　woman　to　the　devil。''　The　popular　proverb　also　seems　to　assign　them　considerable　strength；　at　least　to　aged　women。　For　we　hear　in　all　kinds　of　variations　the　expression；　‘‘An　old　woman　will　venture　where　the　devil　does　not　dare　to　tread。''　Nor　must　we　underestimate　the　daily　experience　of　feminine　capacity　to　bear　pain。　Midwives　of　experience　unanimously　assure　us　that　no　man　would　bear　what　a　woman　regularly　has　to；　every　time　she　gives　birth　to　a　child；　and　surgeons　and　dentists　assure　us　similarly。　Indeed　the　great　surgeon；　Billroth；　is　said　to　have　asserted　that　he　attempted　new　methods　of　operation　on　women　first　because　they　are　less　subject　to　pain；　for　like　savages　they　are　beings　of　a　lower　status　and　hence　better　able　to　resist　than　men。　In　the　light　of　such　expressions　we　have　to　doubt　the　assertion　that　women　are　distinguished　by　weakness；　and　yet　that　assertion　is　correct。　The　weakness　must；　however；　not　be　sought　where　we　expect　to　find　it；　but　in　the　quite　different　feminine　intelligence。　Wherever　intelligence　is　not　taken　into　consideration；　woman　is　likely　to　show　herself　stronger　than　man。　She　is　better　able　to　stand　misfortune；　to　nurse　patients；　to　bear　pain；　to　bring　up　children；　to　carry　out　a　plan；　to　persevere　in　a　plan。　It　would　be　wrong　to　say　that　feminine　weakness　is　a　weakness　of　will；　for　most　examples　show　that　women's　wills　are　strong。　It　is　in　matters　of　intelligence　that　they　fail。　When　somebody　has　to　be　persuaded；　we　find　that　a　normally…organized　man　may　agree　when　he　is　shown　a　logically…combined　series　of　reasons。　But　the　feminine　intelligence　is　incapable　of　logic；　indeed；　we　should　make　a　mistake　in　paying　honor　to　the　actual　feminine　in　woman　if　she　　were　capable　of　logic。　She　is　rather　to　be　persuaded　with　apparent　reasons；　with　transitory　and　sparkling　matters　that　have　only　the　semblance　of　truth。　We　find　her　too　ready　to　agree；　and　blame　her　will　when　it　is　only　her　different　form　of　intelligence。　She　persuades　herself　in　the　same　way。　An　epithet；　a　sparkling　epigram；　a　pacifying　reflection　is　enough　for　her；　she　does　not　need　a　whole　construction　of　reason；　and　thus　she　proceeds　to　do　things　that　we　again　call　‘‘weak。''　Take　so　thoroughly　a　feminine　reflection　as　this。　‘‘The　heart　seems　to　beatwhy　shouldn't　it　beat　for　somebody？''　and　the　woman　throws　herself　on　the　breast　of　some　adventurer　The　world　that　hears　of　this　fact　weeps　over　feminine　‘‘weakness；''　while　it　ought　really　to　weep　over　defective　intelligence　and　bad　logic。　That　the　physiological　throb　of　the　heart　need　not　become　significant　of　love；　that　the　owner　of　a　beating　heart　need　not　be　interested　in　some　man；　and　certainly　not　in　that　particular　adventurer；　she　does　not　even　consider　possible。　She　is　satisfied　with　this　clean…cut；　sparkling　syllogism；　and　her　understanding　is　calm。　The　judge　in　the　criminal　court　must　always　first　consider　the　weakness　of　the　feminine　intelligence；　not　of　the　feminine　will。

It　is　supposed　to　be　weakness　of　will　which　makes　woman　gossipy；　unable　to　keep　a　secret。　But　here　again　it　is　her　understanding　that　is　at　fault。　This　is　shown　by　the　fact；　already　thoroughly　discussed　by　Kant；　that　women　are　good　keepers　of　their　own　secrets；　but　never　of　the　secrets　of　others。　If　this　were　not　a　defect　of　intelligence　they　would　have　been　able　to　estimate　the　damage　they　do。　Now；　every　one　of　us　criminalists　knows　that　the　crime　committed；　and　even　the　plan　for　it；　has　in　most　cases　been　betrayed　by　women。　We　can　learn　most　about　this　matter　from　detectives。　who　always　go　to　women　for　the　discovery　of　facts；　and　rarely　without　success。　Of　course；　the　judge　must　not　act　like　a　detective；　but　he　must　know　when　something　is　already　a　matter　of　discussion　and　its　source　is　sought；　where　to　look。　He　is　to　look　for　the　woman　in　the　case。

Another　consideration　of　importance　is　the　fact　that　women　who　have　told　secrets　have　also　altered　them。　This　is　due　to　the　fact　that　because　they　are　secrets　the　whole　is　not　told　them　and　they　have　had　to　infer　much；　or　they　have　not　properly　understood　what　was　told。　Now；　if　we　perceive　that　only　a　part　of　the　revealed　secret　can　be　correct；　the　situation　may　be　inferred　with　complete　safety；　but　only　by　remembering　this　curious　trait　of　feminine　intelligence。　We　have　only　to　ask　what　illogical　elements　does　the　matter　contain？　When　these　are　discovered　we　have　to　ask；　what　　is　their　logical　form？　If　the　process　is　followed　properly　we　get　at　the　truth　that　what　happens　happens　logically；　but　what　is　thought；　is　thought　illogically　even　by　women。

When　we　summarise　all　we　know　about　woman　we　may　say　briefly：　Woman　is　neither　better　nor　worse；　neither　more　nor　less　valuable　than　man；　but　she　is　different　from　him　and　inasmuch　as　nature　has　created　every　object　correctly　for　its　purpose；　woman　has　also　been　so　created。　The　reason　of　her　existence　is　different　from　that　of　man's　and　hence；　her　nature　is　different。


Section　78。　（b）　Children。

The　special　character　of　the　child　has　to　be　kept　in　mind　both　when　it　appears　as　witness　and　as　accused。　To　treat　it　like　an　adult　is　always　wrong。　It　would　be　wrong；　moreover；　to　seek　the　differences　in　its　immaturity　and　inexperience；　in　its　small　knowledge　and　narrower　outlook。　This　is　only　a　part　of　the　difference。　The　fact　is；　that　because　the　child　is　in　the　process　of　growth　and　development　of　its　organs；　because　the　relations　of　these　to　each　other　are　different　and　their　functions　are　different；　it　is　actually　a　different　kind　of　being　from　the　adult。　When　we　think　how　different　the　body　and　actions　of　the　child　are；　how　different　its　nourishment；　how　differently　foreign　influences　affect　it；　and　how　different　its　physical　qualities　are；　we　must　see　that　its　mental　character　is　also　completely　different。　Hence；　a　difference　in　degree　tells　us　nothing；　we　must　look　for　a　difference　in　kind。　Observations　made　by　individuals　are　not　enough。　We　must　undertake　especial　studies　in　the　very　rich　literature。＇1＇


Section　79。　（I）　General　Consideration。

One　does　not　need　to　have　much　knowledge　of　children　to　know　that　as　a　rule；　children　are　more　honest　and　straightforward　than　adults。　They　are　good　observers；　more　disinterested　and　hence　unbiased　in　giving　evidence；　but　because　of　their　weakness；　more　subject　to　the　influence　of　other　people。　Apart　from　intentional　in…


＇1＇　Tracy：　The　Psychology　of　Childhood。　Boston　1894。　　M。　W。　Shinn：　Notes　on　the　Development　of　a　Child。　Berkeley　1894。　　L。　Ferriani：　Minoretti　deliquenti。　Milano　1895。　　J。　M。　Baldwin：　Mental　Development　in　the　Child；　etc。　New　York　1895。　　Aussage　der　Wirklichkeit　bei　Schulkindern。　Beitrage　z。　Psych。　d。　Aussage。　II。　1903　　Plschke：　Zeugenaussage　der　Schler：　in　_Rechtsschutz_　1902。　　Oppenheim：　The　Development　of　the　Child。　New　York　1890。

　fluences　there　is　the　tremendous　influence　of　selected　preconceptions。　If　a　child　is　an　important　witness　we　can　never　get　the　truth　from　him　until　we　discover　what　his　ideals　are。　It　is；　of　course；　true　that　everybody　who　has　ideals　is　influenced　by　them；　but　it　is　also　true　that　children　who　have　adventurous；　imaginative　tendencies　are　so　steeped　in　them　that　everything　they　think　or　do　gets　color；　tone；　and　significance　from　them。　What　the　object　of　adventure　does　is　good；　what　it　does　not　do　is　bad；　what　it　possesses　is　beautiful；　and　what　it　asserts　is　correct。　Numerous　unexplainable　assertions　and　actions　of　children　are　cleared　up　by　reference　to　their　particular　ideals；　if　they　may　be　called　ideals。

As　a　rule；　we　may　hold　that　children　have　a　certai