18
T H E F O U R
T E M P E R A M E N T S
OF PERSONALITY
GALEN (C.129 –C.201 CE)
T
he Roman philosopher and
physician Claudius Galen
formulated a concept of
personality types based on the
ancient Greek theory of humorism,
which attempted to explain the
workings of the human body.
The roots of humorism go back
to Empedocles (c.495–435 BCE), a
Greek philosopher who suggested
that different qualities of the four
basic elements—earth (cold and
dry), air (warm and wet), fire (warm
and dry), and water (cold and
wet)—could explain the existence of
all known substances. Hippocrates
(460–370 BCE), the “Father of
Medicine,” developed a medical
model based on these elements,
attributing their qualities to four
fluids within the body. These fluids
were called “humors” (from the
Latin umor, meaning body fluid).
Two hundred years later, Galen
expanded the theory of humorism
into one of personality; he saw a
direct connection between the
levels of the humors in the body
and emotional and behavioral
inclinations—or “temperaments”.
Galen’s four temperaments—
sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric,
and melancholic—are based on the
balance of humors in the body.All things are combinations
of four basic elements:
earth, air, fire, and water.The qualities of these
elements can be found in four
corresponding humors
(fluids) that affect the
functioning of our bodies.These humors also affect our
emotions and behavior—our
“temperaments.”Temperamental problems are
caused by an imbalance in
our humors......so by restoring the balance
of our humors a physician can
cure our emotional and
behavioral problems.IN CONTEXT
APPROACH
HumorismBEFORE
c.400 BCE Greek physician
Hippocrates says that the
qualities of the four elements
are reflected in body fluids.c.325 BCE Greek philosopher
Aristotle names four sources
of happiness: sensual (hedone),
material (propraietari), ethical
(ethikos), and logical (dialogike).AFTER
1543 Anatomist Andreas
Vesalius publishes On the
Fabric of the Human Body in
Italy. It illustrates Galen’s errors
and he is accused of heresy.1879 Wilhelm Wundt says
that temperaments develop
in different proportions along
two axes: “changeability”
and “emotionality.”1947 In Dimensions of
Personality, Hans Eysenck
suggests personality is based
on two dimensions.