ABSTRACT
Francis Galton’s signficance to the development of criminology has not yet been fully assessed,1 although it is clear that he played a crucial role, especially through his work on heredity. In Galton’s day (1822-1911), genes had not yet been identified; but various scientists, including Gregor Mendel, were publishing results that pointed toward a reconceptualization of the “stuff” of heredity as not “soft” and malleable (as in degeneration theory), but rather “hard” and impervious (as in later genetic theory). Galton’s work was part of this reorientation. His research on heredity led him to found the science of eugenics (he even coined the term; see Chapter 45), which developed its own highly influential theory of crime, in which law-breaking was the result of bad heredity. Galton also established the basis for later theories of intelligence and crime.
