thoughts on man-第47章

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Still　however　we　must　not　lose　sight　of　what　has　been　already　said；　that　in　the　action　of　the　mind　unity　is　an　indispensible　condition。　　Our　thoughts　can　only　hold　their　council　and　form　their　decrees　in　a　very　limited　region。　　This　is　their　retreat　and　strong　hold；　and　the　special　use　and　functions　of　the　remoter　parts　of　the　brain　we　are　unable　to　determine；　so　utterly　obscure　and　undefined　is　our　present　knowledge　of　the　great　ligament　which　binds　together　the　body　and　the　thinking　principle。

Enough　however　results　from　this　imperfect　view　of　the　ligament；　to　demonstrate　the　incongruity　and　untenableness　of　a　doctrine　which　should　assign　the　indications　of　different　functions；　exercises　and　propensities　of　the　mind　to　the　exterior　surface　of　the　scull　or　the　brain。　　This　is　quackery；　and　is　to　be　classed　with　chiromancy；　augury；　astrology；　and　the　rest　of　those　schemes　for　discovering　the　future　and　unknown；　which　the　restlessness　and　anxiety　of　the　human　mind　have　invented；　built　upon　arbitrary　principles；　blundered　upon　in　the　dark；　and　having　no　resemblance　to　the　march　of　genuine　science。　　I　find　in　sir　Thomas　Browne　the　following　axioms　of　chiromancy：　　〃that　spots　in　the　tops　of　the　nails　do　signifie　things　past；　in　the　middle；　things　present；　and　at　the　bottom；　events　to　come：　　that　white　specks　presage　our　felicity；　blue　ones　our　misfortunes：　　that　those　in　the　nails　of　the　thumb　have　significations　of　honour；　in　the　forefinger；　of　riches；　and　so　respectively　in　the　rest。〃

Science；　to　be　of　a　high　and　satisfactory　character；　ought　to　consist　of　a　deduction　of　causes　and　effects；　shewing　us　not　merely　that　a　thing　is　so；　but　why　it　is　as　it　is；　and　cannot　be　otherwise。　　The　rest　is　merely　empirical；　and；　though　the　narrowness　of　human　wit　may　often　drive　us　to　this；　yet　it　is　essentially　of　a　lower　order　and　description。　　As　it　depends　for　its　authority　upon　an　example；　or　a　number　of　examples；　so　examples　of　a　contrary　nature　may　continually　come　in；　to　weaken　its　force；　or　utterly　to　subvert　it。　　And　the　affair　is　made　still　worse；　when　we　see；　as　in　the　case　of　craniology；　that　all　the　reasons　that　can　be　deduced　（as　here　from　the　nature　of　mind）　would　persuade　us　to　believe；　that　there　can　be　no　connection　between　the　supposed　indications；　and　the　things　pretended　to　be　indicated。

Craniology；　or　phrenology；　proceeds　exactly　in　the　same　train；　as　chiromancy；　or　any　of　those　pretended　sciences　which　are　built　merely　on　assumption　or　conjecture。　　The　first　delineations　presented　to　the　public；　marked　out；　as　I　have　said；　the　scull　into　compartments；　in　the　same　manner　as　a　country　delineated　on　a　map　is　divided　into　districts。　　Geography　is　a　real　science；　and　accordingly；　like　other　sciences；　has　been　slow　and　gradual　in　its　progress。　　At　an　early　stage　travellers　knew　little　more　than　the　shores　and　islands　of　the　Mediterranean。　　Afterwards；　they　passed　the　straits　of　Hercules；　and　entered　into　the　Atlantic。　　At　length　the　habitable　world　was　distributed　into　three　parts；　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa。　　More　recently；　by　many　centuries；　came　the　discovery　of　America。　　It　is　but　the　other　day　comparatively；　that　we　found　the　extensive　island　of　New　Holland　in　the　Southern　Ocean。　　The　ancient　geographers　placed　an　elephant　or　some　marine　monster　in　the　vacant　parts　of　their　maps；　to　signify　that　of　these　parts　they　knew　nothing。　　Not　so　Dr。　　Gall。　　Every　part　of　his　globe　of　the　human　Scull；　at　least　with　small　exceptions；　is　fully　tenanted；　and　he；　with　his　single　arm；　has　conquered　a　world。

The　majority　of　the　judgments　that　have　been　divulged　by　the　professors　of　this　science；　have　had　for　their　subjects　the　sculls　of　men；　whose　habits　and　history　have　been　already　known。　　And　yet　with　this　advantage　the　errors　and　contradictions　into　which　their　authors　have　fallen　are　considerably　numerous。　　Thus　I　find；　in　the　account　of　the　doctor's　visit　to　the　House　of　Correction　and　the　Hospital　of　Torgau　in　July　1805；　the　following　examples。

〃Every　person　was　desirous　to　know　what　Dr。　Gall　would　say　about　T；　who　was　known　in　the　house　as　a　thief　full　of　cunning；　and　who；　having　several　times　made　his　escape；　wore　an　additional　iron。　　It　was　surprising；　that　he　saw　in　him　far　less　of　the　organ　of　cunning；　than　in　many　of　the　other　prisoners。　　However　it　was　proved；　that　examples；　and　conversation　with　other　thieves　in　the　house；　had　suggested　to　him　the　plan　for　his　escape；　and　that　the　stupidity　which　he　possesses　was　the　cause　of　his　being　retaken。〃

〃We　were　much　surprised　to　be　told；　that　M。；　in　whom　Dr。　Gall　had　not　discovered　the　organ　of　representation；　possessed　extraordinary　abilities　in　imitating　the　voice　of　animals；　but　we　were　convinced　after　enquiries；　that　his　talent　was　not　a　natural　one；　but　acquired　by　study。　　He　related　to　us　that；　when　he　was　a　Prussian　soldier　garrisoned　at　Berlin；　he　used　to　deceive　the　waiting　women　in　the　Foundling　Hospital　by　imitating　the　voice　of　exposed　infants；　and　sometimes　counterfeited　the　cry　of　a　wild　drake；　when　the　officers　were　shooting　ducks。〃

〃Of　another　Dr。　Gall　said；　His　head　is　a　pattern　of　inconstancy　and　confinement；　and　there　appears　not　the　least　mark　of　the　organ　of　courage。　　This　rogue　had　been　able　to　gain　a　great　authority　among　his　fellow…convicts。　　How　is　this　to　be　reconciled　with　the　want　of　constancy　which　his　organisation　plainly　indicates？　　Dr。　Gall　answered；　He　gained　his　ascendancy　not　by　courage；　but　by　cunning。〃

It　is　well　known；　that　in　Thurtel；　who　was　executed　for　one　of　the　most　cold…blooded　and　remorseless　murders　ever　heard　of；　the　phrenologists　found　the　organ　of　benevolence　uncommonly　large。

In　Spurzheim's　delineation　of　the　human　head　I　find　six　divisions　of　organs　marked　out　in　the　little　hemisphere　over　the　eye；　indicating　six　different　dispositions。　　Must　there　not　be　in　this　subtle　distribution　much　of　what　is　arbitrary　and　sciolistic？

It　is　to　be　regretted；　that　no　person　skilful　in　metaphysics；　or　the　history　of　the　human　mind；　has　taken　a　share　in　this　investigation。　　Many　errors　and　much　absurdity　would　have　been　removed　from　the　statements　of　these　theorists；　if　a　proper　division　had　been　made　between　those　attributes　and　propensities；　which　by　possibility　a　human　creature　may　bring　into　the　world　with　him；　and　those　which；　being　the　pure　growth　of　the　arbitrary　institutions　of　society；　must　be　indebted　to　those　institutions　for　their　origin。　　I　have　endeavoured　in　a　former　Essay＇41＇　to　explain　this　distinction；　and　to　shew　how；　though　a　human　being　cannot　be　born　with　an　express　propensity　towards　any　one　of　the　infinite　pursuits　and　occupations　which　may　be　found　in　civilised　society；　yet　that　he　may　be　fitted　by　his　external　or　internal　structure　to　excel　in　some　one　of　those　pursuits　rather　than　another。　　But　all　this　is　overlooked　by　the　phrenologists。　　They　remark　the　various　habits　and　dispositions；　the　virtues　and　the　vices；　that　display　themselves　in　society　as　now　constituted；　and　at　once　and　without　consideration　trace　them　to　the　structure　that　we　bring　into　the　world　with　us。

＇41＇　See　above；　Essay　II。


Certainly　many　of　Gall's　organs　are　a　libel　upon　our　common　nature。　　And；　though　a　scrupulous　and　exact　philosopher　will　perhaps　confess　that　he　has　little　distinct　knowledge　as　to　the　design　with　which　〃the　earth　and　all　that　is　therein〃　were　made；　yet　he　finds　in　it　so　much　of　beauty　and　beneficent　tendency；　as　will　make　him　extremely　reluctant　to　believe　that　some　men　are　born　with　a　decided　propensity　to　rob；　and　others　to　murder。　　Nor　can　any　thing　be　more　ludicrous　than　this　author's　distinction　of　the　different　organs　of　memoryof　things；　of　places；　of　names；　of　language；　and　of　numbers：　　organs；　which　must　be　conceived　to　be　given　in　the　first　instance　long　before　names　or　language　or　numbers　had　an　existence。　　The　followers　of　Gall　have　in　a　few　instances　corrected　this：　　but　what　their　denominations　have　gained　in　avoiding　the　grossest　absurdities　of　their　master；　they　have　certainly　lost　in　explicitness　and　perspicuity。

There　is　a　distinction；　not　unworthy　to　be　attended　to；　that　is　here　to　be　made　between　Lavater's　system　of　physiognomy；　and　Gall's　of　craniology；　which　is　much　in　favour　of　the　former。　　The　lines　and　characteristic　expressions　of　the　face　which　may　so　frequently　be　observed；　are　for　the　most　part　the　creatures　of　the　mind。　　This　is　in　the　first　place　a　mode　of　observation　more　agreeable　to　the　pride　and　conscious　elevation　of　man；　and　is　in　the　next　place　more　suitable　to　morality；　and　the　vindication　of　all　that　is　most　admirable　in　the　system　of　the　universe。　　It　is　just；　that　what　is　most　frequently　passing　in　the　mind；　and　is　entertained　there　with　the　greatest　favour；　should　leave　its　traces　upon　the　countenance。　　It　is　thus　that　the　high　and　exalted　philosopher；　the　poet；　and　the　man　of　benevolence　and　humanity　are　sometimes　seen　to　be　such　by　the　bystander　and　the　stranger。　　While　the　malevolent；　the　trickish；　and　the　grossly　sensual；　give　notice　of　what　they　are　by　the　cast　of　their　features；　and　put　their　fellow…creatures　upon　their　guard；　that　they　may　not　be　made　the　prey　of　these　vices。

But　the　march　of　craniology　or　phrenology；　by　whatever　name　it　is　called；　is　directly　the　reverse　of　this。　　It　assigns　to　us　organs；　as　far　as　the　thing　is　explained　by　the　professors　either　to　the　public　or　to　their　own　minds；　which　are　entailed　upon　us　from　our　birth；　and　which　are　altogether　independent；　or　nearly　so；　of　any　discipline　or　volition　that　can　be　exercised　by　or　upon　the　individual　who　drags　their　intolerable　chain。　　Thus　I　am　told　of　one　individual　that　he　wants　the　organ　of　colour；　and　all　the　culture　in　the　world　can　never　supply　that　defect；　and　enable　him　to　see　colour　at　all；　or　to　see　it　as　it　is　seen　by　the　rest　of　mankind。　　Another　wants　the　organ　of　benevolence；　and　his　case　is　equally　hopeless。　　I　shrink　from　considering　the　condition　of　the　wretch；　to　whom　nature　has　supplied　the　organs　of　theft　and　murder　in　full　and　ample　proportions。　　The　case　is　like　that　of　astrology

　　　　　（Their　stars　are　more　in　fault　than　they）；

with　this　aggravation；　that　our　stars；　so　far　as　the　faculty　of　prediction　had　been　supposed　to　be　attained；　swayed　in　few　things；　but　craniology　climbs　at　once　to　universal　empire；　and　in　her　map；　as　I　have　said；　there　are　no　vacant　places；　no　unexplored　regions　and　happy　wide…extended　deserts。

It　is　all　a　system　of　fatalism。　　Independently　of　ourselves；　and　far　beyond　our　control；　we　are　reserved　for　good　or　for　evil　by　the　predestinating　spirit　that　reigns　over　all　things。　　Unhappy　is　the　individual　who　enters　himself　in　this　school。　　He　has　no　consolation；　except　the　gratified　wish　to　know　distressing　truths；　unless　we　add　to　this　the　pride　of　science；　that　he　has　by　his　own　skill　and　application　purchased　for　himself　the　discernment　which　places　him　in　so　painful　a　preeminence。　　The　great　triumph　of　man　is　in　the　power　of　education；　to　improve　his　intellect；　to　sharpen　his　perceptions；　and　to　regulate　and　modify　his　moral　qualities。　　But　craniology　reduces　this　to　almost　nothing；　and　exhibits　us　for　the　most　part　as　the　helpless　victims　of　a　blind　and　remorseless　destiny。

In　the　mean　time　it　is　happy　for　us；　that；　as　thi