A Foul Pseudoscience: Fowler Phrenology Excerpt

Although the logic behind this "science" is very interesting, the fact that an entire country could jump behind a science trying desperately to connect physical appearance of someone's head to their personality and level of intelligence is a little scary.  In the psychological and medical fields, "bump" doctors are a bit of a joke.  But how could this joke become overwhelmingly popular?  This question is answered easily!  The only people who could read/opinion's that matter in the 19th century were Caucasians, considered "superior in reasoning power and more elevation to all other races."  The "universal fact" is that phrenology proved the most powerful people the smartest, so of course this movement would be meet with popularity.  The Fowler's break down their logic into 2 parts. 1. Observing animal's skulls and making judgements about their intelligence and behavior. 2. Drawing parallels between animal and human skulls, and making "logical" conclusions from the animal they studies.  Yes, this is interesting but completely superficial.    

This over-all garbage science does have a few points that are correct.  Yes, the brain is divided into 2 hemispheres.  Yes, drugs, toxins, and alcohol do have the power to affect our brain; as does the amount of sleep, exercise and oxygen.  Modern medical advances can only provide a few measures of intelligence with various tests. fMRI scans can show which parts of the brain light up when being used.  Doctors and researchers are now beginning to look at these scans in relationship to intelligence, but nothing is as black and white as primitive phrenology.

Phrenology has been laughed out of the sciences in a method of evaluating the brain, but the ideals of Phrenology will always remain true.  Humans judge upon appearance.  They always have and they always will.  Phrenology was a way for caucasians too put cold hard facts behind their bias, they were better than everyone else.  We still judge people on the way they look - "he has a funny nose," "her eyes are too close together," "he looks so dumb," and etc.  How many times do we judge others upon their appearance? How does our own judgement calls make us any different from the stupidity of phrenology 200 years later?