Vol. I. Philadelphia, May 1, 1839. No. 8.
Phrenology is useful, because it forms the most correct basis of asystem of mental philosophy.
In a previous number of this Journal (see Art. I, page 161), weentered somewhat at length upon the discussion of the above proposition.We there contrasted the merits of phrenology, as the truescience of the mind, with other systems of mental philosophy, particularlyDugald Stewart’s. We pointed out several important defectswhich have hitherto existed in every system of mental science. Westated that all writers on the philosophy of the mind had committedthe following mistakes. First, they leave out of view almost entirelyall connection of the mind with the brain; and, secondly, they maketheir own individual consciousness the chief and principal source ofinformation. And that, from these two radical defects in their premises,they have fallen into numerous errors. Among others, they donot recognise all the primitive faculties of the mind; and throughoutall their writings, they confound primitive faculties of the mind withmodes of activity.
Another radical defect in the systems of previous writers on mentalscience is, When they admit and treat of the elementary faculties ofthe mind, they consider them merely as existing by themselves, anddisregard almost entirely the influence of combination.
This defect is similar to what would appear in that system ofchemistry which should contain only a physical description ofelements of matter, without saying any thing of the various substanceswhich they form in combination. Thus the chemist mightdescribe oxygen by itself. He might say it is a gas, colourless,[250]heavier than common air, a supporter of combustion and animal life,and many other things equally important, interesting, and true; andif such facts were all that is known of this substance, they should bereceived and appreciated according to their value. But how much isadded to our knowledge, when we are informed that oxygen entersinto combination with almost every other element of matter? Thatin one combination it forms the deadly poison; in another, the refreshingcordial. That united with nitrogen in one proportion, it constitutesthe air we breathe; in another, it forms the nitrous oxyde, asubstance producing the most remarkable effects of exhilaration; in athird proportion, the nitrous oxyde, which, coming in contact withour lungs, produces instant death; and in a fourth, one of the mostpowerful agents in nature. That with hydrogen it forms the valuablesubstance called water; and in other various combinations, acids sovaluable in the arts and all the economy of civilised life.
Much likewise might be said, which would be interesting and true,of acids—of their general properties—their sour taste—their effectson vegetable blues, &c.; but how imperfect would be the descriptionwhich should fail to give us not only the elements of which each iscomposed, but the nature of those substances which they form incompositions?
We have room only for a single example to illustrate the truth ofour position. We select the mental power termed by Dr. Brown“anger;” in phrenology, “Combativeness.” In his description ofthis feeling, Dr. Brown is truly eloquent. His organ of Combativenessmust have been large, or he could not have described the feelingwith such vividness and accuracy.
“There