精神障碍抗辩的中世纪简史

精神迷乱者的形象在中世纪的记载里,常常因文明形态差别迥异。因精神障碍而作出的行为,时而因法律人格的否认而不加处罚,时而因揭示了原罪而使当事人受到严惩。总体而言,西方文明在日耳曼部族传统与宗教势力的双重结构下,对于精神障碍者的态度是严厉、排异甚至力图消灭。同时兴起的追猎巫者运动,也是对于精神障碍者的一场浩劫。相比之下,保存了希腊文明的东罗马帝国以及更遥远的伊斯兰世界,对于精神障碍者的态度就温和许多:将其视为着魔者,使其受精神障碍支配的行为归于无效。同时出于盖伦传统的影响,将精神障碍的原因归于人的大脑,从而为未来的医学心理学发展埋下种子。两种不同的思路共存并互相影响,将精神障碍抗辩的主题引入近代。

The Medieval History of Insanity Defense

As one kind of defense reasons,insanity defense has been developed into many types from antiquity to nowadays.In Medieval time,the development of the Religion substantially influenced those defenses' situations.In the western world,the Christian godfathers kept strict views on people suffering from insanity.These people would be considered as witches or evils and be punished or tortured.On the other civilization,the eastern world insisted the tradition from Greece and Galen,which lead to different trends on...