Which term describes the belief that some people are born criminals due to evolution?

Which term describes the belief that some people are born criminals due to evolution?

• A. Atavism
• B. Mala prohibita crimes
• C. Fourteenth Amendment
• D. Hedonism

Answer: (A)

Atavism describes the idea that some people are born criminals because they are evolutionary throwbacks. In early criminology, Cesare Lombroso argued that criminality is rooted in biology and that offenders resemble earlier, more primitive human traits. This view treats criminal behavior as an inherited condition—a birth-based predisposition tied to evolutionary history—rather than something learned or purely shaped by environment. That’s why this term is the best fit for the concept described. The other concepts don’t capture this idea. Mala prohibita refers to acts that are illegal because a law says so, not because the person is inherently predisposed to crime. The Fourteenth Amendment concerns constitutional rights and protections, not theories of criminal origins. Hedonism is a philosophy focused on pursuing pleasure, which may influence behavior but does not describe a biological, evolutionary basis for criminality.

Atavism describes the idea that some people are born criminals because they are evolutionary throwbacks. In early criminology, Cesare Lombroso argued that criminality is rooted in biology and that offenders resemble earlier, more primitive human traits. This view treats criminal behavior as an inherited condition—a birth-based predisposition tied to evolutionary history—rather than something learned or purely shaped by environment. That’s why this term is the best fit for the concept described.

The other concepts don’t capture this idea. Mala prohibita refers to acts that are illegal because a law says so, not because the person is inherently predisposed to crime. The Fourteenth Amendment concerns constitutional rights and protections, not theories of criminal origins. Hedonism is a philosophy focused on pursuing pleasure, which may influence behavior but does not describe a biological, evolutionary basis for criminality.