History of Phrenology on the Web

Organs

George Combe's A System of Phrenology, 5th edn, 2 vols. 1853.

Vol. 1: [front matter], Intro, N ervous system, Principles of Phrenology, Anatomy of the brain, Division of the faculties 1.Amativeness 2.Philoprogenitiveness 3.Concentrativeness 4.Adhesiveness 5.Combativeness 6.Destructiveness, Alimentiveness, Love of Life 7.Secretiveness 8.Acquisitiveness 9.Constructiveness 10.Self-Esteem 11.Love of Approbation 12.Cautiousness 13.Benevolence 14.Veneration 15.Firmness 16.Conscientiousness 17.Hope 18.Wonder 19.Ideality 20.Wit or Mirthfulness 21.Imitation.
Vol. 2: [front matter], external senses, 22.Individuality 23.Form 24.Size 25.Weight 26.Colouring 27.Locality 28.Number 29.Order 30.Eventuality 31.Time 32.Tune 33.Language 34.Comparison, General observations on the Perceptive Faculties, 35.Causality, Modes of actions of the faculties, National character & development of brain, On the importance of including development of brain as an element in statistical inquiries, Into the manifestations of the animal, moral, and intellectual faculties of man, Statistics of Insanity, Statistics of Crime, Comparative phrenology, Mesmeric phrenology, Objections to phrenology considered, Materialism, Effects of injuries of the brain, Conclusion, Appendices: No. I, II, III, IV, V, [Index], [Works of Combe].

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GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON INDIVIDUALITY, AND THE OTHER KNOWING OR PERCEPTIVE FACULTIES.

No objection to Phrenology is more frequently repeated, than that such and such persons have retreating foreheads, and yet are very clever. A short explanation will serve to remove this difficulty. In the first place, a forehead may appear retreating, not because the reflecting organs are greatly deficient, but. because the knowing organs are very prominently developed, so that if the latter were diminished in size, the former would appear relatively larger. But every one must perceive that, the only effect of such a change would be to diminish the perceptive, without increasing the reflective powers, although, in such a case, the unskilful observer might imagine the development of the forehead to be improved. In the mask of Henri Quatre, the forehead appears to slope ; whereas, if the knowing organs were reduced to the same state of small projection beyond the cheek-bones, as in the mask of Voltaire, it would appear much more perpendicular. But this would clearly detract from the mental power. It would cause the reflecting faculties to predominate, only by diminishing talent in the department of observation.

But, in the next place, let us suppose that a head does retreat considerably, still Individuality, and the other knowing organs, may be large ; and if we attend to the range of these powers, we shall perceive that the individual may be deficient in Causality and Comparison, and yet be very clever, in the popular acceptation of these words. A wide range of sciences, falling under the scope of Individuality and Eventuality chiefly, has already been pointed out, and m these a person so endowed may be very learned. Farther, the details of history, statistics, geography, and trade, all belong to the department of simple knowledge ; and in them also he may be eminently skilled. And, finally, in the daily occurrences of life, acuteness of observation, and the

148 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

power of treasuring up the lessons of experience, which, he may possess, constitute important elements in a practical judgment. If, then, to a large endowment of the knowing organs, a nervous temperament be added, the individual may be observing, active, and enterprising ; if Cautiousness be large, he may be prudent, and rarely venture beyond the scope of his abilities ; if Conscientiousness be large, he may enjoy that delicacy of sentiment which discriminates intuitively where the right lies, and where the path of honour terminates ; and with these endowments there will be no wonder if he act creditably and cleverly in the ordinary walks of life. These are not imaginary suppositions, but descriptions drawn from observations made on numerous individuals engaged in active business. Such persons, however, are never distinguished for profound and comprehensive views of abstract subjects ; which can be reached only by the reflecting faculties, not yet treated of.¹

In the preceding pages, it is stated, that the faculty of Form perceives the forms of objects,-Colouring, their colour,-and Size, their dimensions ; that Individuality takes cognizance of things existing, and Eventuality of events in general. The question naturally .occurs-If the minor knowing powers apprehend all the separate qualities of external objects, what purposes do Individuality and Eventuality serve in the mental economy ? One important function of Individuality is to form a single intellectual conception out of the different items of information communicated by the other knowing faculties, which take cognizance of the properties of external objects. In perceiving a tree, the object apprehended by the mind is not colour, form, and size, as separate qualities ; but a single thing or being named a tree. The mind having, by means of Individuality, and these other organs, obtained the idea of a tree, as an existing object, may analyze it, and resolve it into its constituent parts of form, colour, and magnitude ; but the contemplation of it in

¹ This subject is more fully illustrated in The Phrenological Journal, vol. iii. pp. 48, 67.

ON THE KNOWING ORGANS. 149

this manner is at once felt to be widely different from the conception attached to the word tree as a whole. The function of Individuality, therefore, is to combine the elements furnished by these other knowing faculties into one, and to produce out of them single conceptions of aggregate objects ; which objects are afterwards viewed by the mind as individual existing things, and are remembered and spoken of as such, without thinking of their constituent parts. Although we have no knowledge of the substance of objects apart from their qualities ; yet we have a conviction of their substantive existence, and this is given by Individuality. Children early use and understand general terms, such as tree, man, ship ; and the organ of Individuality is, for the most part, early and prominently developed in them.

Farther, after Form, Colouring, and Size, have furnished certain elementary conceptions, and Individuality has united and conceived them as one, such as Man, the faculty of Number may be called into action, to give the idea of plurality ; and that of Order to furnish the idea of gradations of rank and arrangement. Now, Individuality, receiving the intimations of all these separate faculties, combines them again, and contemplates the combination as an individual object, and this is an army. After the- idea of an army is thus formed, the mind drops the recollection of the constituent parts, and thinks of the aggregate only., or of the combined conception formed by Individuality ; and regards it as a single object.

Eventuality is surrounded by Individuality, Locality, Time, Comparison, and Causality, and forms individual conceptions from their combined intimations. A storm is not a specific existing object, nor is it a quality of any thing ; yet the mind clearly apprehends it. It is the result of certain physical elements in violent commotion, and all the faculties last enumerated, together with Eventuality itself, which observes motion, combine in furnishing individual conceptions, which Eventuality unites into one idea, designated by the word storm. Revolution is another example.

150 ON THE REFLECTIVE FACULTIES.

A revolution does not exist in nature as a substantive thing, but arises from the combined action of numerous moral and physical causes, the result of which Eventuality conceives as one event.

If these views be correct, the meaning attached by different individuals to abstract terms of these classes will be more or less complete, according to the degrees of development of the several knowing organs in their heads. If Colouring be defective, and Form be large, the individual will think chiefly of the forms and dimensions of objects ; if Form be deficient and Colouring large, he will observe and conceive their colours much more forcibly than their forms ; and his abstract terms will embody each object exactly as it is perceived by his own faculties.

It is interesting to observe the phrenological system, which at first sight appears rude and unphilosophical, harmonizing thus simply and beautifully with nature. Had it been constructed by imagination or reflection alone, it is more than probable that the objection of the minor knowing faculties rendering Individuality and Eventuality superfluous, would have appeared so strong as to have insured the exclusion of one or other as unnecessary ; and yet, until both were discovered and admitted, the formation of such terms as those we have considered was inexplicable

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The History of Phrenology on the Web