Abstract

The conference has brought to light the relevance of Gabriel Tarde, sociologist, psychologist and philosopher, considered one of the founders of criminology. His work, long neglected by the academic debate, is fundamental to understanding social dynamics and the forces that govern human action. Invention, imitation, belief and desire: these are the basic categories of Tarde’s thought, which enable us to appreciate his modernity, his sensitivity to the phenomenon of social deviance, his confidence in the human will, the true cause which conducts the process of historical change.