George Combe
Encyclopedia
George Combe was a Scottish lawyer and writer on phrenology
and education. In later years, he devoted himself to the promotion of phrenology. His major work was The Constitution of Man
(1828).
, the brother of Andrew Combe
. After attending the High School of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh
, Combe entered a lawyer's office in 1804; and, in 1812, he began his own practice.
contained an article on the system of "craniology" of Franz Joseph Gall
and Johann Gaspar Spurzheim, which was denounced as "a piece of thorough quackery from beginning to end." When Spurzheim came to Edinburgh in 1816, Combe was invited to a friend's house where he saw Spurzheim dissect a human brain. Impressed by this demonstration, he attended the second series of Spurzheim's lectures. Investigating the subject for himself, he became satisfied that the fundamental principles of phrenology were true--namely
In 1820 he helped to found the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh, which in 1823 began to publish a Phrenological Journal. Through his lectures and writings, Combe attracted public attention to phrenology on Continental Europe
and the United States
, as well as his native United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
.
in the Edinburgh Review for September 1825. Combe replied in a pamphlet and in the journal. Sir William Hamilton
delivered addresses to the Royal Society of Edinburgh
in 1826 and 1827 attacking the phrenologists. A sharp controversy followed, including challenges to public disputes and mutual charges of misrepresentation, in which Spurzheim took part. The correspondence was published in the fourth and fifth volumes of the Phrenological Journal.
; Hamilton won with 18 votes, against 14 for Taylor. In 1838 Combe visited the United States and studied the treatment of the criminal classes there. He initiated a programme of public education about chemistry, physiology, history and moral philosophy.
Combe sought to improve the education of the poorer classes. He advocated a national system of non-sectarian education. He helped set up a school in Edinburgh run on the principles of William Ellis
, and did some teaching there himself on phrenology and physiology. It was prompted by the London "Birkbeck School" opened on 17 July 1848. Combe founded a similar institution in Edinburgh, with William Mattieu Williams
as headmaster, and it was opened on 4 December 1848 as the Williams Secular School. To begin with it was held in the Trades' Hall, Infirmary Street; soon it was moved to accommodate the numbers, to the premises of the former anatomical school of Robert Knox
, at 1 Surgeons' Square. Williams left in 1854, but many years later wrote one of the last serious works on phrenology; his departure saw the effective collapse of the school with its ambitious and encyclopedic curriculum. By the 1870s the school had become a lecture hall. The actual form of education set up by Combe was later regarded as "transient", though as a propagandist of general educational ideas he was more effective. Combe has been seen as a significant figure in his view that government should be involved with the educational system, and as a precursor of Herbert Spencer
. His attitudes were supported by William Jolly, an inspector of schools, and noted by Frank Pierrepont Graves
in connection with Spencer and T. H. Huxley.
Combe gave public discussion to the reform of criminal behaviour; and, with his assistant William A. F. Browne
, he opened a discussion about the introduction of the humane treatment of psychiatric disorder into publicly funded asylums.
, and he travelled much in Europe
, inquiring into the management of schools, prisons and asylums.
Combe was revising the ninth edition of the Constitution of Man when he died at Moor Park, Farnham
in August 1858. He was buried in the Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh and his resting place is marked by a rather flamboyant headstone.
Combe's most popular work, The Constitution of Man
, was published in 1828, and he was widely denounced as a materialist and atheist. In this book, Combe wrote: "Mental qualities are determined by the size, form and constitution of the brain; and these are transmitted by hereditary descent".
In 1840 he published his Moral Philosophy, and in the following year his Notes on the United States of North America.
The culmination of Combe's autobiographical philosophy is contained in "On the Relation between Science and Religion", first publicly issued in 1857.
Combe moved into the economic arena with his pamphlet on The Currency Question (1858).
, and sister of Henry Siddons
, the author of the Practical Illustrations of Rhetorical Gesture and Action (1807). She brought him a fortune, as well as a happy marriage (preceded by a phrenological check for compatibility); a few years later he retired from work as a lawyer, in comfortable circumstances.
Attribution
Phrenology
Phrenology is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules...
and education. In later years, he devoted himself to the promotion of phrenology. His major work was The Constitution of Man
The Constitution of Man
The Constitution of Man is the classical exposition of phrenology, written by George Combe and published in 1828. It furthered the popularity of phrenology by finding a pathway to a personal philosophy which was in tune with the scientific understanding of the time. The Constitution bridged the...
(1828).
Early life
He was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, the brother of Andrew Combe
Andrew Combe
Andrew Combe , Scottish physician and phrenologist; was born in Edinburgh on the October 27, 1797, and was a younger brother of George Combe....
. After attending the High School of Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Combe entered a lawyer's office in 1804; and, in 1812, he began his own practice.
The Phrenological Society
In 1815 the Edinburgh ReviewEdinburgh Review
The Edinburgh Review, founded in 1802, was one of the most influential British magazines of the 19th century. It ceased publication in 1929. The magazine took its Latin motto judex damnatur ubi nocens absolvitur from Publilius Syrus.In 1984, the Scottish cultural magazine New Edinburgh Review,...
contained an article on the system of "craniology" of Franz Joseph Gall
Franz Joseph Gall
Franz Joseph Gall was a neuroanatomist, physiologist, and pioneer in the study of the localization of mental functions in the brain.- Life :...
and Johann Gaspar Spurzheim, which was denounced as "a piece of thorough quackery from beginning to end." When Spurzheim came to Edinburgh in 1816, Combe was invited to a friend's house where he saw Spurzheim dissect a human brain. Impressed by this demonstration, he attended the second series of Spurzheim's lectures. Investigating the subject for himself, he became satisfied that the fundamental principles of phrenology were true--namely
"that the brain is the organ of mind; that the brain is an aggregate of several parts, each subserving a distinct mental faculty; and that the size of the cerebral organ is, caeteris paribus, an index of power or energy of function."
In 1820 he helped to found the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh, which in 1823 began to publish a Phrenological Journal. Through his lectures and writings, Combe attracted public attention to phrenology on Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as his native United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
.
Debate with Hamilton
Combe began to lecture at Edinburgh in 1822, and published a manual called Elements of Phrenology in June 1824. Converts came in, new societies sprang up, and controversies began. A second edition of the Elements, 1825, was attacked by Francis JeffreyFrancis Jeffrey
Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey was a Scottish judge and literary critic.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of a clerk in the Court of Session. After attending the Royal High School for six years, he studied at the University of Glasgow from 1787 to May 1789, and at Queen's College, Oxford, from...
in the Edinburgh Review for September 1825. Combe replied in a pamphlet and in the journal. Sir William Hamilton
Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet
Sir William Hamilton, 9th Baronet was a Scottish metaphysician.-Early life:He was born in Glasgow. He was from an academic family, including Robert Hamilton, the economist...
delivered addresses to the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland...
in 1826 and 1827 attacking the phrenologists. A sharp controversy followed, including challenges to public disputes and mutual charges of misrepresentation, in which Spurzheim took part. The correspondence was published in the fourth and fifth volumes of the Phrenological Journal.
Educational and social interests
In 1836, Combe stood for the chair of Logic at Edinburgh, against two other candidates, Sir William Hamilton and Isaac TaylorIsaac Taylor
Isaac Taylor was an English philosophical and historical writer, artist, and inventor.-Life:He was the eldest surviving son of Isaac Taylor of Ongar. He was born at Lavenham, Suffolk, on 17 August 1787, and moved with his family to Colchester and, at the end of 1810, to Ongar. In the family...
; Hamilton won with 18 votes, against 14 for Taylor. In 1838 Combe visited the United States and studied the treatment of the criminal classes there. He initiated a programme of public education about chemistry, physiology, history and moral philosophy.
Combe sought to improve the education of the poorer classes. He advocated a national system of non-sectarian education. He helped set up a school in Edinburgh run on the principles of William Ellis
William Ellis (economist)
William Ellis was an English businessman, writer on economics, and educational thinker.-Life:Ellis was born in January 1800. His father, Andrew Ellis Ellis, an underwriter at Lloyd's of London, was the descendant of a French refugee family named De Vezian, and took the name Ellis shortly after the...
, and did some teaching there himself on phrenology and physiology. It was prompted by the London "Birkbeck School" opened on 17 July 1848. Combe founded a similar institution in Edinburgh, with William Mattieu Williams
William Mattieu Williams
William Mattieu Williams was an English writer on science and educator.-Life:The son of Abraham Williams, a fishmonger in London, and his wife Louise, daughter of Gabriel Mattieu, a Swiss refugee, he was born in London on 6 February 1820. He lost his father in infancy, and his mother married again...
as headmaster, and it was opened on 4 December 1848 as the Williams Secular School. To begin with it was held in the Trades' Hall, Infirmary Street; soon it was moved to accommodate the numbers, to the premises of the former anatomical school of Robert Knox
Robert Knox
Robert Knox was a Scottish surgeon, anatomist and zoologist. He was the most popular lecturer in anatomy in Edinburgh before his involvement in the Burke and Hare body-snatching case. This ruined his career, and a later move to London did not improve matters...
, at 1 Surgeons' Square. Williams left in 1854, but many years later wrote one of the last serious works on phrenology; his departure saw the effective collapse of the school with its ambitious and encyclopedic curriculum. By the 1870s the school had become a lecture hall. The actual form of education set up by Combe was later regarded as "transient", though as a propagandist of general educational ideas he was more effective. Combe has been seen as a significant figure in his view that government should be involved with the educational system, and as a precursor of Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer was an English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era....
. His attitudes were supported by William Jolly, an inspector of schools, and noted by Frank Pierrepont Graves
Frank Pierrepont Graves
Frank Pierrepont Graves was Commissioner of the New York State Education Department from 1921 to 1940. Prior to assuming the commissionership, Graves was a noted historian of education, college administrator, and author....
in connection with Spencer and T. H. Huxley.
Combe gave public discussion to the reform of criminal behaviour; and, with his assistant William A. F. Browne
William A. F. Browne
Dr William A. F. Browne was one of the most significant psychiatrists of the nineteenth century. At Montrose Asylum and, later, at Crichton Royal in Dumfries , Browne introduced activities for patients including writing, art, group activity and drama, pioneered early forms of occupational...
, he opened a discussion about the introduction of the humane treatment of psychiatric disorder into publicly funded asylums.
Later life
In 1842, Combe delivered a course of twenty-two lectures on phrenology in the Ruprecht Karl University of HeidelbergRuprecht Karl University of Heidelberg
The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg is a public research university located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386, it is the oldest university in Germany and was the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire. Heidelberg has been a coeducational institution...
, and he travelled much in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, inquiring into the management of schools, prisons and asylums.
Combe was revising the ninth edition of the Constitution of Man when he died at Moor Park, Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
in August 1858. He was buried in the Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh and his resting place is marked by a rather flamboyant headstone.
Works
In 1817 his first essay on phrenology was published in The Scots Magazine; and a series of papers on the same subject appeared soon afterwards in the Literary and Statistical Magazine; these were collected and published in 1819 in book form as Essays on Phrenology, which in later editions became A System of Phrenology.Combe's most popular work, The Constitution of Man
The Constitution of Man
The Constitution of Man is the classical exposition of phrenology, written by George Combe and published in 1828. It furthered the popularity of phrenology by finding a pathway to a personal philosophy which was in tune with the scientific understanding of the time. The Constitution bridged the...
, was published in 1828, and he was widely denounced as a materialist and atheist. In this book, Combe wrote: "Mental qualities are determined by the size, form and constitution of the brain; and these are transmitted by hereditary descent".
In 1840 he published his Moral Philosophy, and in the following year his Notes on the United States of North America.
The culmination of Combe's autobiographical philosophy is contained in "On the Relation between Science and Religion", first publicly issued in 1857.
Combe moved into the economic arena with his pamphlet on The Currency Question (1858).
Family
In 1833, Combe married Cecilia Siddons, a daughter of the actress Sarah SiddonsSarah Siddons
Sarah Siddons was a Welsh actress, the best-known tragedienne of the 18th century. She was the elder sister of John Philip Kemble, Charles Kemble, Stephen Kemble, Ann Hatton and Elizabeth Whitlock, and the aunt of Fanny Kemble. She was most famous for her portrayal of the Shakespearean character,...
, and sister of Henry Siddons
Henry Siddons
Henry Siddons was an English actor and theatrical manager, now remembered as a writer on gesture.-Life:Born on 4 October 1774, he was the eldest child of Sarah Siddons, and was educated at Charterhouse School, being intended by his mother for the church...
, the author of the Practical Illustrations of Rhetorical Gesture and Action (1807). She brought him a fortune, as well as a happy marriage (preceded by a phrenological check for compatibility); a few years later he retired from work as a lawyer, in comfortable circumstances.
External links
- NNDB Biography
- Articles on Phrenological practice by George Combe, Andrew Combe, and other early Phrenologists.
Attribution