Lombroso's thesis, derived from Comte, that criminal behaviour resulted either from inherited physical and mental abnormalities or from physical degeneration involved a number of fallacies. However, "Criminal Man" was not only a revolutionary work but one of great practical consequence. "The division which it indicated between the congenital criminal and those who were tempted to crime by circumstances has had a lasting effect on penal theory. Again, by connecting the treatment of crime with the treatment of insanity, Lombroso initiated a branch of psychiatric research which has cast new light on problems, such as criminal responsibility, which lie at the root of human society." (PMM)