Self-Quantification : From Bumps to Bytes

In the ever-evolving landscape of self-understanding and personal optimization, the practice of phrenology stands as a historical curiosity, simultaneously fascinating and controversial. Emerging in the late 18th century and reaching its zenith in the 19th century, phrenology was a pseudoscience that sought to decipher the intricacies of one's personality, character, and mental faculties through the study of the shape and contours of the human skull. Although discredited and widely regarded as a relic of the past, phrenology's exploration of the relationship between the brain's structure and human behavior offers a unique perspective when viewed through the modern lens of the quantified-self movement.

The Dark Side of Self Quantification

Phrenology is riddled with inherent problems that have contributed to its widely discredited status today. It lacked a scientific foundation, relying on subjective observations rather than rigorous empirical evidence. This absence of empirical support is a fundamental flaw that undermines its credibility. 

Yet, it's clear that something more than just a lack of scientific credibility played a role in phrenology's decline. It not only lost its hold on past societies but faded into obscurity altogether. In modern times, similar methods of self-quantification — like astrology — exist to give a physical explanation of our intangible characteristics, and they are used by many. 

Instead of using bumps on one's head to measure mental qualities of a person, astrology suggests that the positions and movements of celestial bodies, such as planets and stars, can influence human affairs and personality traits. It operates on the idea that the arrangement of these celestial objects at the time of a person's birth can provide insights into their character, behavior, and life path. Astrologers use a birth chart, which is a map of the positions of the planets at a specific moment, to make interpretations about an individual's strengths, challenges, and potential life events.

Though I do believe that the implementation of the self-quantification method determines whether or not it is evil, there certainly can be self-quantification methods that have a higher potential to be used for evil. Phrenology is one of those methods.

The physical quantity that you measure to infer things regarding one's mental faculties play a huge role in determining the potential good or evil that these methods can cause. For example, in the case of phrenology, the shape of one's head could easily be linked to race, gender, or social class. These sensitive factors shape one's identity, and often in history we see conflicts arising between people because of a difference in factors that make up their identity.

Astrology, on the other hand, speaks about the nature of people in such a general way that many people find themselves agreeing with what the astrological quantifiers seemingly entail. In this case, the vagueness of the quantifier's prediction reduces the potential for harm. What astrology lacks is the specificity of prediction that could lead to the harmful stereotyping and discrimination associated with phrenology. Phrenology, by contrast, attempts to make specific character assessments based on physical attributes, which can easily lead to biased judgments.

Furthermore, the historical context in which these methods emerged also plays a crucial role. Phrenology emerged in an era marked by deeply ingrained biases and discriminatory practices. Its flawed premise only served to reinforce and legitimize existing prejudices. This historical backdrop significantly heightens the potential for phrenology to be used for malicious purposes.

Despite these differences in potential evil, ultimately the moral implications of different methods of self-quantification depend on the ways that they are implemented. If phrenology never had a racist, sexist, and classist history — even though it has the potential to be weaponized for such reasons — then it could still have been as widespread today as astrology is.