Post by Fewms on Feb 8, 2009 19:16:16 GMT
---
Page 5
---
Criminological Monologue
By Effendi Ptoley pteh Pterrible
It is widely recognized that man is a faulted creature. Some of these faults lie within the form of the beast, whose jutting ribs connote his weakness, yet whose tooth and claw are coloured Nature's red. It is in fact this weakness that inspires the cunning whereof his depraved heart makes use. Lack of various natural advantages drove us to invent clothing and tools and to pursue higher education in fields such as architecture, sanitation, medicine, and philosophy. Man's most basic fault is the strength of his mind, for it is this strength that lets him pursue immoral objectives. In the course of this monologue, I wish not only to instruct you in the basic form and function of criminology, but also how we might guard our hearts against corruption, and thus bear ourselves and better our community.
One half of criminology is rooted in the concrete facts of what crime is and how it is committed. On the other side, it delves into more esoteric and philosophical subjects such as the logic of probability, the inductive method, and all branches of psychology. In between these metaphorical roots and canopy, there are many branches; sociological implications, jurisprudence, and criminal psychology are several examples. When rudimentary knowledge of such disciplines, familiarity with Djelibeybi's laws, and all the facts of a crime are laid out together, it becomes clear how one should approach the basic questions the disinterested Djelian criminologist must seek to answer; the How, Where, Why, What, and even (as in the recent Case of the Voting Alts) Who. Often the answers to these questions lie buried beneath deep problems and subtle pretences indeed.
Every crime has two roots: the Desire and the Law. Without Law, there can be no Crime. Without Desire, there can be no responsibility. The roots are not to be confused with the causes, for there are far more potential causes than can be listed here, such as poverty, greed, ambition, negligence, and even benevolence. I believe that the more fundamental the Desire that motivates a crime, the more comprehensive the Law must be to regulate it. For instance; should the child who steals figs from a neighbour's tree out of hunger be punished the same as the desert nomad who robs the caravan for greed? If a Sultan is proven guilty of fraud, is he any more or less culpable than the servants who knew of his actions and made no effort to correct his behaviour? To be honest, it is questions like these that make me glad to be a detective and executioner of the law, and not a magistrate or judge.
Although many aspects differ from crime to crime, some things do remain constant. Not all crimes have victims, but all crimes, when the facts are ascertained, can be recognised as such. To prevent crime is the duty of all citizens, not only of the ingenious who are best able to detect it after the fact. Moreover, because all citizens are potential criminals, as well as potential victims, we should learn to protect ourselves from the motivations behind immoral acts as well as from the criminal itself. Only in infrequent examples of misguided good-intentions, or of outright negligence, is a crime's perpetrator not yielding to the 'dark desires' that afflict us all. The most heinous crimes are always motivated by Anger, Greed, Pride, Envy, and Lust. I am tempted to include Fear on that list, but there are strong arguments suggesting that the Fear of Punishment prevents many crimes. It would be nice to think that Honesty and Discipline are the greatest deterrents. However, the point is that each individual does have the ability to prevent crimes, if not by the application of analytic reason, then by preventing yourself from committing them.
The aspiring criminologist is invited to visit the courthouses in our fair city and read through past cases. It is in this way alone that they can come to understand Djelian law's application, despite the fact that this is an evolving field. An evening or two spent in the slightly chill depths of the archives room, with the scribes hurrying around one for a needed file, is sufficient to become familiar with the material. The successful criminological mind will analyse itself, identifying the desires within it that would motivate it towards crime. Perhaps examine your own personal past and present actions, or the actions of those around you. Can you identify minor crimes, or even major ones, that happen around you every day? Have you noticed anyone getting an unfair advantage over another, or perhaps someone using his or her abilities to cause detriment in your community? Our city is not perfect, and we are constantly in the presence of criminals, be they high, low, or in our own reflection.
Page 5
---
Criminological Monologue
By Effendi Ptoley pteh Pterrible
It is widely recognized that man is a faulted creature. Some of these faults lie within the form of the beast, whose jutting ribs connote his weakness, yet whose tooth and claw are coloured Nature's red. It is in fact this weakness that inspires the cunning whereof his depraved heart makes use. Lack of various natural advantages drove us to invent clothing and tools and to pursue higher education in fields such as architecture, sanitation, medicine, and philosophy. Man's most basic fault is the strength of his mind, for it is this strength that lets him pursue immoral objectives. In the course of this monologue, I wish not only to instruct you in the basic form and function of criminology, but also how we might guard our hearts against corruption, and thus bear ourselves and better our community.
One half of criminology is rooted in the concrete facts of what crime is and how it is committed. On the other side, it delves into more esoteric and philosophical subjects such as the logic of probability, the inductive method, and all branches of psychology. In between these metaphorical roots and canopy, there are many branches; sociological implications, jurisprudence, and criminal psychology are several examples. When rudimentary knowledge of such disciplines, familiarity with Djelibeybi's laws, and all the facts of a crime are laid out together, it becomes clear how one should approach the basic questions the disinterested Djelian criminologist must seek to answer; the How, Where, Why, What, and even (as in the recent Case of the Voting Alts) Who. Often the answers to these questions lie buried beneath deep problems and subtle pretences indeed.
Every crime has two roots: the Desire and the Law. Without Law, there can be no Crime. Without Desire, there can be no responsibility. The roots are not to be confused with the causes, for there are far more potential causes than can be listed here, such as poverty, greed, ambition, negligence, and even benevolence. I believe that the more fundamental the Desire that motivates a crime, the more comprehensive the Law must be to regulate it. For instance; should the child who steals figs from a neighbour's tree out of hunger be punished the same as the desert nomad who robs the caravan for greed? If a Sultan is proven guilty of fraud, is he any more or less culpable than the servants who knew of his actions and made no effort to correct his behaviour? To be honest, it is questions like these that make me glad to be a detective and executioner of the law, and not a magistrate or judge.
Although many aspects differ from crime to crime, some things do remain constant. Not all crimes have victims, but all crimes, when the facts are ascertained, can be recognised as such. To prevent crime is the duty of all citizens, not only of the ingenious who are best able to detect it after the fact. Moreover, because all citizens are potential criminals, as well as potential victims, we should learn to protect ourselves from the motivations behind immoral acts as well as from the criminal itself. Only in infrequent examples of misguided good-intentions, or of outright negligence, is a crime's perpetrator not yielding to the 'dark desires' that afflict us all. The most heinous crimes are always motivated by Anger, Greed, Pride, Envy, and Lust. I am tempted to include Fear on that list, but there are strong arguments suggesting that the Fear of Punishment prevents many crimes. It would be nice to think that Honesty and Discipline are the greatest deterrents. However, the point is that each individual does have the ability to prevent crimes, if not by the application of analytic reason, then by preventing yourself from committing them.
The aspiring criminologist is invited to visit the courthouses in our fair city and read through past cases. It is in this way alone that they can come to understand Djelian law's application, despite the fact that this is an evolving field. An evening or two spent in the slightly chill depths of the archives room, with the scribes hurrying around one for a needed file, is sufficient to become familiar with the material. The successful criminological mind will analyse itself, identifying the desires within it that would motivate it towards crime. Perhaps examine your own personal past and present actions, or the actions of those around you. Can you identify minor crimes, or even major ones, that happen around you every day? Have you noticed anyone getting an unfair advantage over another, or perhaps someone using his or her abilities to cause detriment in your community? Our city is not perfect, and we are constantly in the presence of criminals, be they high, low, or in our own reflection.