Galen's Prophecy: Temperament in Human Nature [Hardcover]

Jerome Kagan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994

Nearly 2,000 years ago the Greek physician Galen postulated that much of human behavior could be predicted according to an individual's temperament. Now one of the country's most original thinkers provides startling new evidence to support Galen's ancient classification scheme of melancholic and sanguine adults.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Harvard cognitive psychologist Kagan adds a new twist to the nature-nurture controversy in this challenging academic study. Second-century Greek physician Galen posited innate, distinct human temperaments--melancholy, sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic--thought to result from imbalances in bodily humors. Carl Jung carried forward Galen's ideas by asserting that people are born as introverts or extroverts. Though the concept of inherited personality has fallen out of favor, research studies done during the last 15 years by Kagan and others reveal that an infant's fearful or relaxed reaction to novel stimuli is a predictor of whether that child will develop into a sensitive, introverted or a bold, outgoing adult. Kagan believes we each inherit unique neurochemistries that predispose us to becoming inhibited or uninhibited types. He offers tantalizing speculations on how innate temperaments might affect vocational and marital choices, criminality, ethical stances, psychopathology and parenting.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Kagan, one of the world's eminent developmental psychologists, has argued for several decades that human nature is not infinitely malleable. In this book he discusses a project he has led for the past 15 years involving the study of toddlers who demonstrated two temperamental extremes: the inhibited (shy and withdrawn) and the uninhibited (placid and outgoing). Kagan's research uncovered a significant pattern of behavioral and physiological differences distinguishing these two groups from earliest infancy and found that these traits tend to persist at least into early adolescence. He includes a history of the idea of temperament and discusses the political implications of his work. This book is a vital purchase for all academic libraries supporting courses in developmental or personality psychology. Public libraries can probably make do with Kagan's earlier book, The Nature of the Child (LJ 9/15/84), which covers the research in less detail.
Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, Wash.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465084052
• ISBN-13: 978-0465084050
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good News for Introverts, May 3, 2005

By 

Jaye Smith (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galen's Prophecy: Temperament In Human Nature (Paperback)

Galen's Prophecy was a stretch for my intellect; it is, afterall, a presentation of scientific research. However, when it was written (early to mid-1990's), it was cutting-edge research in temperament. At the time, I was desperate for answers about the agonies of anxiety and shyness that colored my childhood and followed me into adulthood. It was personally liberating to read Kagan's solid evidence that we are born with our temperamental tendencies. In our culture, where extroversion is desired and rewarded, it's easy for we introverts to feel inadequate or flawed. Kagan's research has paved the way for newer books on shyness and tempereament written for the lay person. Extroverts may never understand the debt of gratitude we introverts owe to Dr. Kagan.

4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars College student in southern California, December 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Galen's Prophecy: Temperament In Human Nature (Paperback)

This book is a must read for anyone who wishes to understand the individual differences in people. Kagan, a Havard Professor, fills this book with information relevant to all areas in psychology. I referred to it many time for my thesis.

2 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Glad I bought it used., November 30, 2004

By 

Bert Wiefels (Banning, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galen's Prophecy: Temperament In Human Nature (Paperback)

The author is all over the place. He skips around so much that the first couple of chapters come across like a bunch of unconnected cliches. I am usually a positive reviewer, but this book reminded me of the kind of garbage college students write when they don't know what they are talking about. Sorry professor.