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criminal psychology-第45部分

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roof。 Es…  pecially remarkable is the fact that the concept of _*the proved_ is very various in various sciences; and it would be absorbing to establish the difference between what is called proved and what only probable in a number of given examples by the mathematician; the physicist; the chemist; the physician; the naturalist; the philologist; the historian; the philosopher; the lawyer; the theologian; etc。 But this is no task for us and nobody is called upon to determine who knows what ‘‘Proved'' means。 It is enough to observe that the differences are great and to understand why we criminalists have such various answers to the question: Is this proved or only probable? The varieties may be easily divided into groups according to the mathematical; philosophic; historical or naturalistic inclinations of the answerer。 Indeed; if the individual is known; what he means by ‘‘proved'' can be determined beforehand。 Only those minds that have no especial information remain confused in this regard; both to others and to themselves。


'1' B。 Petronievics: Der Satz vom Grunde。 Leipzig 1898。


Sharply to define the notion of ‘‘proved'' would require at least to establish its relation to usage and to say: What we desire leads us to an _*assumption_; what is possible gives us _*probability_; what appears certain; we call _*proved_。 In this regard the second is always; in some degree; the standard for the first (desires; e。 g。; cause us to act; one becomes predominant and is fixed as an assumption which later on becomes clothed with a certain amount of reliability by means of this fixation)。

The first two fixations; the assumption and the probability; have in contrast to their position among other sciences only a heuristic interest to us criminalists。 Even assumptions; when they become hypotheses; have in various disciplines a various value; and the greatest lucidity and the best work occur mainly in the quarrel about an acutely constructed hypothesis。

_*Probability_ has a similar position in the sciences。 The scholar who has discovered a new thought; a new order; explanation or solution; etc。; will find it indifferent whether he has made it only highly probable or certain。 He is concerned only with the idea; and a scholar who is dealing with the idea for its own sake will perhaps prefer to bring it to a great probability rather than to indubitable certainty; for where conclusive proof is presented there is no longer much interest in further research; while probability permits and requires further study。 But our aim is certainty and proof only; and even a high degree of probability is no better than untruth and can not count。 In passing judgment and for the purpose of judgment  a high degree of probability can have only corroborative weight; and then it is probability only when taken in itself; and proof when taken with regard to the thing it corroborates。 If; for example; it is most probable that X was recognized at the place of a crime; and if at the same time his evidence of alibi has failed; his footmarks are corroborative; so are the stolen goods which have been seen in his possession; and something he had lost at the place of the crime which is recognized as his property; etc。 ln short; when all these indices are in themselves established only as highly probable; they give under certain circumstances; when taken together; complete certainty; because the coincidence of so many high probabilities must be declared impossible if X were not the criminal。

In all other cases; as we have already pointed out; _*assumption_ and probability have only a heuristic value for us lawyers。 With the assumption; we must of course count; many cases can not be begun without the assistance of assumption。 Every only half… confused case; the process of which is unknown; requires first of all and as early as possible the application of some assumption to its material。 As soon as the account is inconsistent the assumption must be abandoned and a fresh one and yet again a fresh one assumed; until finally one holds its own and may be established as probable。 It then remains the center of operation; until it becomes of itself a proof or; as we have explained; until so many high probabilities in various directions have been gathered; that; taken in their order; they serve evidentially。 A very high degree of probability is sufficient in making complaints; but sentencing requires ‘‘certainty;'' and in most cases the struggle between the prosecution and the defense; and the doubt of the judge; turns upon the question of probability as against proof。'1'


'1' Of course we mean by ‘‘proof'' as by ‘‘certainty'' only the highest possible degree of probability。


That probability is in this way and in a number of relations; of great value to the criminalist can not appear doubtful。 Mittermaier defines its significance briefly: ‘‘Probability naturally can never lead to sentence。 It is; however; important as a guide for the conduct of the examiner; as authorizing him to take certain measures; it shows how to attach certain legal processes in various directions。''

Suppose that we review the history of the development of the theory of probability。 The first to have attempted a sharp distinction between demonstrable and probable knowledge was Locke。 Leibnitz was the first to recognize the importance of the theory  of probability for inductive logic。 He was succeeded by the mathematician Bernoulli and the revolutionist Condorcet。 The theory in its modern form was studied by Laplace; Quetelet; Herschel; von Kirchmann; J。 von Kries; Venn; Cournot; Fick; von Bortkiewicz; etc。 The concept that is called probability varies with different authorities。 Locke'1' divides all fundamentals into demonstrative and probable。 According to this classification it is probable that ‘‘all men are mortal;'' and that ‘‘the sun will rise to…morrow。'' But to be consistent with ordinary speech the fundamentals must be classified as evidence; certainties; and probabilities。 By certainties I understand such fundamentals as are supported by experience and leave no room for doubt or considerationeverything else; especially as it permits of further proof; is more or less probable。


'1' Locke: Essay on the Human Understanding。


Laplace'2' spoke more definitely‘‘Probability depends in part on our ignorance; in part on our knowledge 。 。 。


'2' Laplace: Essay Philosophique sur les Probabilit
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