Introduction Furiosi Immortal Souls, Mortal Cities Possession and Witchcraft Wild Beasts and Idle Humours The Rise of Medical Jurisprudence Jural Science and Social Science Notes Index
Wild Beasts and Idle Humours is truly unique. It synthesizes material that I do not believe has ever been considered in this context, and links up the historical past with contemporaneous values and politics. Robinson effortlessly weaves religious history, literary history, medical history, and political history, and demonstrates how the insanity defense cannot be fully understood without consideration of all these sources. -- Michael L. Perlin, New York Law School A detailed historical anthropology of legal insanity that draws upon multiple and rich historical sources from antiquity to the present. Wild Beasts and Idle Humours reads like the inner workings of a fascinating and disciplined narrative mind. -- Dr. Robert Kinscherff, Massachusetts General Hospital
Daniel N. Robinson is Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, at Georgetown University and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford.
Daniel N. Robinson has written a graceful history of insanity and
the law stretching from Homer to Hinckley. He attempts no final
theory as to how the law should cope with the insane; he seeks,
rather, to use the shifting notions of when madness exculpates
criminal activity to illuminate the core self-perceptions of the
cultures developing ever-evolving resolutions of the problem… [T]he
grandeur of the theme—starting with Agamemnon’s crazed humiliation
of Achilles and ending yesterday—commands attention and
respect.
*The Nation*
An American psychologist, Daniel N. Robinson, traces the
development of the insanity plea… [He offers] an assured historical
survey.
*The Times*
Professor Robinson’s interesting and scholarly book is the first to
deal with the history of legal insanity from Ancient Greece and
Rome to modern times… Most of the book, dealing with a topic so
little known, is fascinating.
*Contemporary Review*
Anyone interested in the nature, meaning, and justification of an
insanity defense will profit from Robinson’s book, whether
beginning an examination of that defense or seeking a deeper
understanding of it… Highly recommended.
*Choice*
[This] work is a welcome addition to the literature and a valuable
book for readers with an interest in either law or psychology. An
intellectual history of the interplay of psychology and law within
the narrow context of insanity as a legal defense in criminal or
civil actions, this book carefully examines the views of human
nature prevalent in classical Greece and Rome, the early and later
Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and the era of modern science. It
then traces the influences of these ideas on the development of the
concepts and structures of the law… Both lawyer and lay reader can
read this book with benefit.
*Library Journal*
This book is a unique study. It is of great value because of the
diversity, richness, and depth of intelligence which is brought to
bear on its subject. The author is extremely well-read. He makes
deft use of the history of ideas, theology, religious history,
medicine and its history, political theory, jurisprudence, literary
history, and the rules of evidence as they pertain to expert
testimony. He is familiar with the resources of these many
disciplines and demonstrates a remarkable ability to have them
‘play’ together, the way a philharmonic conductor leads the
different sections of an orchestra. This is an intellectual
symphony of a book.
*Appellate Practice Journal and Update*
[A] wonderful book… This work ultimately stands as a treatise on
Western law’s ongoing struggle to contend with a hodge-podge of
mental illnesses, unfortunate coincidences, and other unexplained
phenomena, dealt with until recently under the rubric of ‘magic.’
It would be a shame for psychologists, psychiatrists, and legal
scholars to miss out on this book… No comprehensive collection of
works in this area would be complete without a copy of Wild Beasts
and Idle Humours.
*The Federal Lawyer*
A detailed historical anthropology of legal insanity that draws
upon multiple and rich historical sources from antiquity to the
present. Wild Beasts and Idle Humours reads like the inner workings
of a fascinating and disciplined narrative mind.
*Dr. Robert Kinscherff, Massachusetts General Hospital*
Wild Beasts and Idle Humours is truly unique. It synthesizes
material that I do not believe has ever been considered in this
context, and links up the historical past with contemporaneous
values and politics. Robinson effortlessly weaves religious
history, literary history, medical history, and political history,
and demonstrates how the insanity defense cannot be fully
understood without consideration of all these sources.
*Michael L. Perlin, New York Law School*
Daniel N. Robinson has written a graceful history of insanity and
the law stretching from Homer to Hinckley. He attempts no final
theory as to how the law should cope with the insane; he seeks,
rather, to use the shifting notions of when madness exculpates
criminal activity to illuminate the core self-perceptions of the
cultures developing ever-evolving resolutions of the problem...
[T]he grandeur of the theme-starting with Agamemnon's crazed
humiliation of Achilles and ending yesterday-commands attention and
respect. -- Neal Johnston * The Nation *
An American psychologist, Daniel N. Robinson, traces the
development of the insanity plea... [He offers] an assured
historical survey. -- Roy Porter * The Times *
Professor Robinson's interesting and scholarly book is the first to
deal with the history of legal insanity from Ancient Greece and
Rome to modern times... Most of the book, dealing with a topic so
little known, is fascinating. -- Radmila May * Contemporary Review
*
Anyone interested in the nature, meaning, and justification of an
insanity defense will profit from Robinson's book, whether
beginning an examination of that defense or seeking a deeper
understanding of it... Highly recommended. * Choice *
[This] work is a welcome addition to the literature and a valuable
book for readers with an interest in either law or psychology. An
intellectual history of the interplay of psychology and law within
the narrow context of insanity as a legal defense in criminal or
civil actions, this book carefully examines the views of human
nature prevalent in classical Greece and Rome, the early and later
Middle Ages, the Enlightenment, and the era of modern science. It
then traces the influences of these ideas on the development of the
concepts and structures of the law... Both lawyer and lay reader
can read this book with benefit. * Library Journal *
This book is a unique study. It is of great value because of the
diversity, richness, and depth of intelligence which is brought to
bear on its subject. The author is extremely well-read. He makes
deft use of the history of ideas, theology, religious history,
medicine and its history, political theory, jurisprudence, literary
history, and the rules of evidence as they pertain to expert
testimony. He is familiar with the resources of these many
disciplines and demonstrates a remarkable ability to have them
'play' together, the way a philharmonic conductor leads the
different sections of an orchestra. This is an intellectual
symphony of a book. -- Dennis Owens * Appellate Practice Journal
and Update *
[A] wonderful book... This work ultimately stands as a treatise on
Western law's ongoing struggle to contend with a hodge-podge of
mental illnesses, unfortunate coincidences, and other unexplained
phenomena, dealt with until recently under the rubric of 'magic.'
It would be a shame for psychologists, psychiatrists, and legal
scholars to miss out on this book... No comprehensive collection of
works in this area would be complete without a copy of Wild
Beasts and Idle Humours. -- Eric Drogin * The Federal Lawyer
*
A detailed historical anthropology of legal insanity that draws
upon multiple and rich historical sources from antiquity to the
present. Wild Beasts and Idle Humours reads like the inner
workings of a fascinating and disciplined narrative mind. -- Dr.
Robert Kinscherff, Massachusetts General Hospital
Wild Beasts and Idle Humours is truly unique. It synthesizes
material that I do not believe has ever been considered in this
context, and links up the historical past with contemporaneous
values and politics. Robinson effortlessly weaves religious
history, literary history, medical history, and political history,
and demonstrates how the insanity defense cannot be fully
understood without consideration of all these sources. -- Michael
L. Perlin, New York Law School
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