Abstract
The current ambivalence of our society toward crime causation is traced to two contradictory philosophical premises: the premise of free will (Classical View) and the premise of determinism (Positive View). It is suggested that these two fundamentally inconsistent views currently pervade our social institutions and our criminological theories. The resulting problems that face the criminological researcher are discussed , as are problems between researchers and action personnel . Promising research trends are indicated. Increased communication and collaboration between researchers and action personnel are seen as desirable vehicles for formulating and testing middle-range criminological theories.
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