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Decoding Human Traits: Physiognomy and Phrenology

Dive into the fascinating history of physiognomy and phrenology, exploring how facial features and skull shapes were once believed to reflect character traits. Learn about influential figures like Lavater and Gall, and their impact on society. Uncover the American adoption and commercialization of phrenology, offering insights into vocational guidance and personal counseling. Discover the intriguing world of decoding human characteristics through the signs of the body in the era of industrial capitalism and urbanization.

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Decoding Human Traits: Physiognomy and Phrenology

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  1. Reading the Signs of the Body in the Era of Industrial Capitalism

  2. Industrial Revolution in UK • 1700-1860 in England • Agriculture to Industrial Economy • Some Changes • World is much more competitive • Urbanization: by 1850 half of England lived in cities (often slums) • Women lost home-based weaving jobs • Meritocracy: rewards go to best & most capable (not just based on birth) • Need to understand self & others

  3. Our Response to Faces? A C B

  4. Physiognomy = understanding human character traits by the outward physical traits of the body, particularly the face and head • Ancient physiognomy argued by Aristotle: people’s faces suggest the personality of animals they look like Giambattista della Porta: De humana physiognomonia libri IIII

  5. Johann Caspar Lavater (1741-1801) • Argued that trained observers could describe a person’s character on the basis of their appearance • Published 1775-1778 in 4 vols. • Remained in print in many languages till 20th century • Influenced novelists & general population • Illustrations suggested to readers insights into family and neighbors

  6. Plates I & II

  7. Examples of Lavater’s Interpretation The Forehead The Mouth & Lips

  8. Phrenology • Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) founds “phrenology” • Outer contours of skull = shape of brain beneath (Wrong) • Brain uses limited number of faculties or functions (Wrong) • Functions are located in different place in the brain (Right) • Claims 27 specific faculties (benevolence, mirthfulness, firmness, hope, etc.) after looking at small numbers of subjects • Tended to dismiss discrepancies among research subjects http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n01/frenolog/gall.gif

  9. Popularizing Phrenology • Johann Caspar Spurzheim (1776-1832)popularized phrenology after 1815 & split with Gall • He added faculties (N = 37) to Gall’s list & split them between affective & intellectual qualities • Traveled in Europe, UK, & US • Influenced George Combe, an Edinburgh lawyer (see next slide) who becomes advocate for phrenological science Spurzheim (1834)

  10. George Combe (1788-1858) • Elements of Phrenology (1824) • The Constitution of Man (1828) links phrenology to educational reform (sold 350,000 copies by 1900) • Begins Phrenological Journal after establishing a scientific society in Edinburgh in 1820 • Societies established all over the United Kingdom with meetings open to the public

  11. Phrenology in the United States • Appeared in US by 1820 (and strengthened after Spurzheim visited in 1832) • Fowler brothers – Orson (1809-1887) & Lorenzo (1811-1896) – opened phrenology clinics in NYC, Boston, & Philadelphia in 1830s. They also created a publishing company for phrenological materials • American Phrenological Journal published 1838 into the early 1900s. • Focus was practical (see Sokol, 2001). Using a “fee for service model” phrenologists provided: • Vocational guidance • Family or marriage counseling • Child rearing

  12. Chart: “Signs of Character” (1847) benevolence self-esteem cautiousness destructivenss secretiveness amativeness

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