ORIGINAL ARTICLE
At the borders of the average man: Adolphe Quêtelet on mental, moral, and criminal monstrosities
Filippo Maria Sposini,
Corresponding Author
Filippo Maria Sposini
Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science & Technology (IHPST), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Correspondence Filippo Maria Sposini, Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science & Technology (IHPST), University of Toronto, Victoria College, Room 316, 91 Charles Street West, Toronto M5S 1K7, ON, Canada.
Email: filippomaria.sposini@mail.utoronto.ca
Search for more papers by this authorFilippo Maria Sposini,
Corresponding Author
Filippo Maria Sposini
Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science & Technology (IHPST), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Correspondence Filippo Maria Sposini, Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science & Technology (IHPST), University of Toronto, Victoria College, Room 316, 91 Charles Street West, Toronto M5S 1K7, ON, Canada.
Email: filippomaria.sposini@mail.utoronto.ca
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 19 December 2019
Abstract
This study examines Adolphe Quêtelet's conception of deviance. It investigates how he identified social marginalities and what actions he recommended governments to undertake. To get a close understanding of his views, this paper examines three cases of “monstrosities,” namely mental alienation, drunkenness, and criminality. My main thesis is that Quêtelet provided scientific authority to a conception of deviance as sickness, immorality, and cost thus encouraging legislators to use statistics for containing social marginalities. The case of alienation shows that Quêtelet viewed insanity as a pathology of civilization to be understood through phrenology. The case of drunkenness demonstrates how Quêtelet conflated the notion of statistical mean with moral decency. The case of criminality illustrates Quêtelet's major concern with the cost of criminals for the state. While advocating for the perfectibility of mankind, Quêtelet urged governments to take actions against what he considered the monstrosities of society.
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