The popular nineteenth-century science of phrenology has attracted a great deal of recent scholarly interest. What was once seen as a rather curious and eccentric practice, is now becoming recognised as one of the most significant social and intellectual manifestations of the nineteenth century. Extending an influence to virtually every aspect of life, thought and belief, it is regarded as having contributed instrumentally to developments in anthropology, criminology, medicine, psychiatry, and education.
This unique set draws together a wealth of material crucial to the intellectual debate over phrenology, both as a branch of mental physiology and as a contribution to the history of philosophy. The articles selected represent the variety of different views throughout the nineteenth century, both pro and anti-phrenology.