Craniology, also known as phrenology, is the study of the size, shape, and proportion of the skull to determine personality traits. It was developed in the 18th century by Franz Joseph Gall but is now considered a pseudoscience. Other related practices, such as craniometry and physiognomy, are also dismissed as quackery. These fields were used to justify racial segregation in the past, but modern scientists refute these notions and study them as a reminder of the misuse of science.
Craniology is the study of differences in the proportion, size, and shape of the cranium, or cranium. Also called phrenology, it has its roots in the 18th century, when it was believed that a person’s character could be revealed by the shape of their skull. Craniology was once considered an important practice in anthropological studies.
Developed by Franz Joseph Gall, a German physician, craniology is based on the premise that the brain itself is an organ of the mind. During this time period, it was commonly believed that an individual’s different mental capacities were kept in separate and orderly alcoves within the cerebral cortex. The composition of a person’s skull was said to indicate the size of each faculty, and therefore how much of a certain trait that person possessed. A craniologist would carefully examine a skull, identify various depressions and bumps, and provide a diagnosis of that person’s personality.
Today, craniology is thought to be a pseudoscience. While craniologists may claim that it is a scientific practice, it does not actually hold to acceptable standards of scientific methodology. Some scientists have even dismissed the study as pseudoscience since its inception. However, this has not prevented it from being used in many theories and practices of psychiatry and neuroscience.
Anthropological practices that specialize in studying head characteristics to make predictions about personality are not limited to craniology. Craniometry involves measuring the bones of the skull, while physiognomy is the study of facial features. Each of these disciplines claims to be able to predict traits or intelligence through their studies. These practices are also widely dismissed as quackery by modern scientists.
These fields were primarily used in physical anthropology during the 19th and 20th centuries. Their use was highly political, providing justification for racial segregation based on the different cranial composition of each race. Georges Vacher de Lapouge, a prominent French anthologist, was particularly supportive of such racism. He created a hierarchy of the human race, hoping to instill a fixed social order.
Following its use by white supremacists in the early 20th century, many scientists presented contrary evidence to refute these notions. The use of such theories to create racial division is considered both immoral and unscientific. Modern scientists and historians alike continue to study craniology and its related studies as a reminder of the kind of effects the misuse of science can cause.
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