In the 19th and early 20th century, epilepsy was one of the most investigated disorders in forensic psychiatry and psychology. The possible subsidiary symptoms of epilepsy (such as temporal confusion, alterations of consciousness, or increased aggression) played pivotal roles in early forensic and criminal psychological theories that aimed to underscore the problematic medical, social and legal status of epileptic criminals. These criminals were considered extremely violent and capable of committing sudden, brutal acts. Although the theory of “epileptic criminality” was refuted due to 20th-century developments in medicine, forensic psychiatry, and criminal psychology, some suppositions related to the concept of epileptic personality have lingered. This paper explores the lasting influence of the theory of epileptic personality by examining the evolution of the theories of epileptic criminality both in the international and the Hungarian context. Specifically, it calls attention to the twentieth-century revival of the theory of epileptic personality in the works of Leopold Szondi, István Benedek and Norman Geschwind. The paper shows that the issue of epileptic personality still lingers in neuropsychology. In doing so, biological reductionist trends in medical-psychological thinking are traced, and attention is drawn to questions that arise due to changing cultural and medical representations.

中文翻译：

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癫痫、暴力和犯罪。历史分析

在 19 世纪和 20 世纪初，癫痫是法医精神病学和心理学研究最多的疾病之一。癫痫可能的附属症状（如时间混乱、意识改变或攻击性增加）在早期的法医和犯罪心理学理论中发挥了关键作用，这些理论旨在强调癫痫罪犯有问题的医学、社会和法律地位。这些罪犯被认为是极端暴力的，能够做出突然的、野蛮的行为。尽管“癫痫犯罪”理论由于 20 世纪医学、法医精神病学和犯罪心理学的发展而遭到驳斥，但与癫痫人格概念相关的一些假设仍然存在。本文通过考察国际和匈牙利背景下癫痫犯罪理论的演变，探讨了癫痫人格理论的持久影响。具体来说，它引起了人们对 Leopold Szondi、István Benedek 和 Norman Geschwind 作品中癫痫人格理论在 20 世纪的复兴的关注。该论文表明，癫痫人格问题仍然存在于神经心理学中。在这样做的过程中，医学心理学思维中的生物还原论趋势被追踪，并引起人们对由于文化和医学表征的变化而出现的问题的关注。它引起了人们对 Leopold Szondi、István Benedek 和 Norman Geschwind 作品中癫痫人格理论在 20 世纪的复兴的关注。该论文表明，癫痫人格问题仍然存在于神经心理学中。在这样做的过程中，医学心理学思维中的生物还原论趋势被追踪，并引起人们对由于文化和医学表征的变化而出现的问题的关注。它引起了人们对 Leopold Szondi、István Benedek 和 Norman Geschwind 作品中癫痫人格理论在 20 世纪的复兴的关注。该论文表明，癫痫人格问题仍然存在于神经心理学中。在这样做的过程中，医学心理学思维中的生物还原论趋势被追踪，并引起人们对由于文化和医学表征的变化而出现的问题的关注。