CRIMINOLOGY, REGARDED AS A YOUNG SCIENCE, WAS REVIVED IN THE LATE 1960'S IN HUNGARY WHEN THE EXIGENCIES OF PENAL POLICY BROUGHT THE SCIENCE TO THE FOREFRONT. BEGINNING WITH A TRACING OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY, THE AUTHOR GIVES AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATED HISTORY OF IDEAS AND THEN INVESTIGATES THE SUBJECT MATTER WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS. THE DISCUSSIONS AND STATEMENTS WHICH ARE MADE IN RELATION TO CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS IN CRIMINOLOGY RELY TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT ON FACTUAL RESEARCH. ASPECTS OF ITS INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE, AS WELL AS ASSOCIATED MARGINAL ISSUES, AND ITS PLACE IN THE SYSTEM OF SCIENCES ARE GIVEN EMPHASIS. THERE IS A SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF THE ROLE OF CRIMINOLOGY IN CRIMINAL POLICY, AND SEVERAL CONCLUSIONS ARE ADVANCED WITH REGARD TO THE GENERAL QUESTIONS OF METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH TECHNIQUES. THE AUTHOR EXPOUNDS ON THE FACTUAL RESEARCH CONDUCTED SO FAR, WHICH BEAR THE DEFICIENCIES INHERENT TO PIONEER STUDIES AND LACK FORMULATION OF SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ALTHOUGH THEY DO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF PENAL POLICY. THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH ARE USED TO REVISE THE INITIAL STANDPOINTS. THE WORK'S ULTIMATE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE MATERIAL FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND TO ADVANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY. THE BOOK ALSO INCLUDES A LIST OF REFERENCES AS WELL AS NAME AND SUBJECT INDEXES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RBS)