The History and Present Status of Moral Insanity

Abstract

Psychiatric taxonomies, always a little uncertain, are most confused and illogical when they endeavour to encompass the moral and legal aspects of human behaviour. The concept of moral insanity represented a step backwards when it came into being, but it has persisted for a century and a half, changing only its title. Its creation and its subsequent history exemplify some of the common errors in psychiatric theorising.