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called “humors” (from the
    and he is accused of heresy.
    Latin umor , meaning body fluid).
    Temperamental problems are
    Two hundred years later, Galen
    1879 Wilhelm Wundt says
    caused by an imbalance in
    expanded the theory of humorism
    that temperaments develop
    our humors…
    into one of personality; he saw a
    in different proportions along
    direct connection between the
    two axes: “changeability”
    levels of the humors in the body
    and “emotionality.”
    and emotional and behavioral
    1947 In Dimensions of
    …so by restoring the balance
    inclinations—or “temperaments”.
    of our humors a physician can
    Personality , Hans Eysenck
    Galen’s four temperaments—
    cure our emotional and
    suggests personality is based
    sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric,
    behavioral problems.
    on two dimensions.
    and melancholic—are based on the
    balance of humors in the body.

    PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS 19
    See also: ■ René Descartes 20–21 ■ Gordon Allport 306–09 ■ Hans J. Eysenck 316–21 Walter Mischel 326–27
    Phlegmatic: slow, quiet,
    Melancholic: sad,
    shy, rational, and consistent.
    fearful, depressed,
    poetic, and artistic.
    Choleric: fiery,
    energetic,
    and passionate.
    Galen
    Imbalances
    in the
    Claudius Galenus, better
    humors
    known as “Galen of Pergamon”
    determine
    Sanguine: warm-hearted,
    (now Bergama in Turkey) was
    personality
    cheerful, optimistic, and
    type as well as
    a Roman physician, surgeon,
    confident.
    inclinations toward
    and philosopher. His father,
    certain illnesses.
    Aelius Nicon, was a wealthy
    Greek architect who provided
    him with a good education
    If one of the humors develops
    cases, cures may include purging
    and opportunities to travel.
    excessively, the corresponding
    and blood-letting. For example, a
    Galen settled in Rome and
    personality type begins to dominate.
    person acting selfishly is overly
    served emperors, including
    A sanguine person has too much
    sanguine, and has too much blood;
    Marcus Aurelius, as principal
    blood ( sanguis in Latin) and is
    this is remedied by cutting down
    physician. He learned about
    warm-hearted, cheerful, optimistic,
    on meat, or by making small cuts
    trauma care while treating
    and confident, but can be selfish. A
    into the veins to release blood.
    professional gladiators, and
    phlegmatic person, suffering from
    Galen’s doctrines dominated
    wrote more than 500 books
    excess phlegm ( phlegmatikós in
    medicine until the Renaissance,
    on medicine. He believed the
    Greek), is quiet, kind, cool, rational,
    when they began to decline in the
    best way to learn was through
    and consistent, but can be slow and
    light of better research. In 1543,
    dissecting animals and
    studying anatomy. However,
    shy. The choleric (from the Greek
    the physician Andreas Vesalius
    although Galen discovered
    kholé , meaning bile) personality is
    (1514–1564), practicing in Italy,
    the functions of many internal
    fiery, suffering from excess yellow
    found more than 200 errors in
    organs, he made mistakes
    bile. Lastly, the melancholic (from
    Galen’s descriptions of anatomy,
    because he assumed that
    the Greek melas kholé ), who suffers
    but although Galen’s medical ideas
    the bodies of animals (such
    from an excess of black bile, is
    were discredited, he later influenced
    as monkeys and pigs) were
    recognized by poetic and artistic
    20th-century psychologists. In 1947,
    exactly like those of humans.
    leanings, which are often also
    Hans Eysenck concluded that
    There is debate over the date
    accompanied by sadness and fear.
    temperament is biologically based,
    of his death, but Galen was at
    and noted that the two personality
    least 70 when he died.
    Imbalance in the humors
    traits he identified—neuroticism
    According to Galen, some people
    and extraversion—echoed the
    Key works
    are born predisposed to certain
    ancient temperaments.
    temperaments. However, since
    Although humorism is no longer
    c.190 CE The Temperaments
    temperamental problems are caused
    part