Education and self-improvement, founded on physiology and phrenology, or, what constitutes good heads and bodies, and how to make them good, by enlarging deficiencies and diminishing excesses / by O. S. Fowler.

  • Fowler, O. S. (Orson Squire), 1809-1887.
Date:
1844
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Education and self-improvement, founded on physiology and phrenology, or, what constitutes good heads and bodies, and how to make them good, by enlarging deficiencies and diminishing excesses / by O. S. Fowler. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    And if this be true of the study of mind, how infinitely more true is it of the means of operating on mind. To at- tempt to operate on mind—to reform mankind, educate man- kind, produce moral purity in man's feelings or conduct, by means of motives and appeals addressed to the mind merely, will be comparatively a failure. The first step towards mak- ing mankind wiser or better—towards disciplining their minds, purifying their motives, diminishing their vices, promoting virtue and happiness, &c.—is to rectify their physiology. As long as it is in an inflamed, or rather enfeebled or diseased condition, to attempt to elevate man in the scale of moral or in- tellectual excellence, is as vain as to sow blasted seed upon the barren rock, or plant tropical flowers in Siberia. It is like operating with feeble weapons upon effects, yet allowing their causes to remain in full force. Preach to men ever so elo- quently, ever so piously, ever so prayerfully, and add revivals and all the means of grace, while their bodies are soaked in alcoholic liquors—as well attempt to stay the fierce winds by raising your puny hands or will against them, or arrest the flowing tide by the voice of command. Moralists and reli- gionists have yet to learn that reform must begin and be con- tinued, by throwing the body into a healthy condition. If this doctrine be so construed as to imply the doctrine of materialism, be it so. This inference will not alter the fact of the existence of these relations. Besides, those who insist on the correctness of this inference, as drawn from these pre- mises, are themselves the main advocates of materialism; for, as to the correctness of these premises, there cannot be the least possible question. They are matters of daily and con- stant experience and' observation. Whichever be the cause, and whichever the effect, however—whether the organization and physical condition be the cause, and govern, and the mental state be the effect; or whether the mental constitution be the cause of organization, and govern that organization, —affects neither the correctness nor importance of the infer- ence ; and let not so valuable a truth be discarded—so valua- ble a means of improving the mind and augmenting our hap- piness as this principle unfolds, because of this inference, whichever way it may be decided.