A Sociological Examination of the Classical Criminological Theory and the Human Agency

“Soft Determinism” Revisited

Abstract

This paper evaluates the relationship between the classical criminological theory and the concept of “human agency” from a sociological perspective. Considering the recent desistance study, there has been a contentious debate between the position that emphasizes human agency and teleological explanations of the action and the position of positive and deterministic criminology that emphasizes causal explanations of the action. This paper focuses on D. Matza’s theories and “soft determinism,” which formed the basis of these debate. Through theoretical considerations, this paper highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of activities that explain delinquent and criminal acts to respect original ideas such as “neutralization techniques” and “drift.” Furthermore, the concept of human agency and teleological explanations of the action should be considered within the neutralization or accounting practice.