Matters of Sex and Gender in F. J. Gall’s Organology: A Primary Approach

Abstract

The originator of phrenology, F. J. Gall (1758-1828), saw himself as a natural scientist and physiologist. His approach consisted of brain anatomy but also of palpating skulls and inferring mental faculties. Unlike some of the philosophical principles underlying Gall's work, his conception of sex/gender has not yet been examined in detail. In this article, I will focus on Gall's treatment of men and women, his idea of sex differences, and how far an assumed existence of dichotomous sexes influenced his work. In examining his primary writings, I will argue that Gall held some contradictory views concerning the origin and manifestation of sex/gender characteristics, which were caused by the collision of his naturalistic ideas and internalized gender stereotypes. I will conclude that Gall did not aim at deducing or legitimizing sex/gender relations scientifically, but that he tried to express metaphysical reasons for a given social order in terms of functional brain mechanisms.

The quest for objectivity and measurements in phrenology’s “bumpy” history.

“…Additionally, some scholars have begun to look more closely at how phrenology was transmitted from Britain to America to other parts of the world (e.g., Poskett, 2019; Sakalauskaitė-Juodeikienė et al, 2017; Storey, 2020), as well as how it impacted the arts (e.g., Colbert, 1997; Finger & Eling, 2019, pp. 339–336) and reflected gender and racial beliefs (Anderson & Perrin, 2009; Bittel, 2013, 2019; Carson, 2007; Cornel, 2014). Yet how some phrenologists attempted to introduce measuring tools and utilize numbers to provide the doctrine with a stronger, more scientific foundation as the 18th century progressed has drawn surprisingly little attention.…”

Franz Joseph Gall on God and religion: “Dieu et Cerveau, rien que Dieu et cerveau!”

“…Some recent contributors to this vast literature have emphasized how certain of Gall's 27 faculties have become accepted by clinical researchers and others engaged in the neurosciences, though not the precise locations Gall gave for their organs (Code et al, 1996 , 2003 ; Kapur, 1996 ; MacPherson & Della Sala, 2019 ; Ogden, 1996 ; Sacks, 1998 , 2007 ). Contemporary writers have also focused on phrenology and matters of gender (e.g., Bittel, 2013 ; Cornel, 2014 ), race (e.g., Poskett, 2019 ), changing legal systems (e.g., Berveling, 2021 ; Thompson, 2021 ), education (e.g., Tomlinson, 1997 ), the arts (e.g., Colbert, 1997 ; Finger & Eling, 2019 , pp. 339–362), as well as the rise of specific disciplines, including psychology and psychiatry (e.g., Cooter, 1976 ; Finger & Eling, 2019 , pp.…”

Empathy: A HistorySusanLanzoniNew Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2018. p. 408. pp. $30.00 (hardcover). ISBN 978‐0‐300‐22268‐5.

“…But too often, men and masculinity are placed in normative positions. Given that phrenological theory, practices, and material culture provided a multitude of platforms for exploring questions and conflicts regarding femininity and masculinity, and for arguing over woman's personal and political rights and responsibilities (e.g., Bittel, 2013;Cornel, 2014;Lilleleht, 2015), this would seem to be an opportunity missed. At the very least, a second act is needed.…”