Genius and Madness

Cesare Lombroso — the foremost Italian positivist philosopher, psychiatrist, and professor of forensic medicine. The central theme of his main work "Genius and Madness" was the idea of the born criminal. Lombroso believed that crimes are committed by people with a set of specific external data and psychological characteristics. As the founder of the original concept of creativity as a combination of pathological conditions, Lombroso explained inspiration as an irrational use of mental energy that produces original results and contributes to the progress of culture. His ideas and scientific research had a significant impact on the development of such sciences as criminology, the psychopathology of creativity, and positivist anthropology. All texts are accompanied by detailed comments and explanations from Professor A.V. Markov of the RGGU.