Criminology Quote by Charles Bernstein
““Medicine, psychology, criminology, sociology. Which treat bodies as machinery (passim Descartes, the “father” of our Western subject). Developing alongside the dirty sciences. Industrialization, Taylorization, automation.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Dirty Sciences" by Charles Bernstein, 1999
Critiques how Western thought reduces bodies to machines, linking this view to industrial and bureaucratic systems.
In simple terms: Treats bodies as machines, ignoring complexity.
Recognize human complexity beyond mechanistic models.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- medical practice
- psychology
- criminal justice
- social policy
- organizational design
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does mechanistic thinking limit our understanding of humanity?
- What alternatives can better capture human complexity?
May overlook individual agency and emotional experience.