134 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



qualities. This point will lie nearest to the group-axis that represents the 

 group-factor predominating in the person concerned. Two well-marked 

 types of character are said to be denoted by its nearness to the one or the 

 other axis. For example, the type in which " Cleverness " predominates is 

 said not only to possess less " Purpose " (as is shown by lack of thrift, of 

 logic, of conscientiousness, and so on), but in actual fact to be at the same 

 time more witty, cheerful and artistic. 



These three independent variables are not likely to be all the factors 

 concerned in the determination of an individual mentality, but it is con- 

 tended that when they are known the mentality can be defined with very 

 considerable completeness. It is certainly true that to assent to this is not 

 necessarily to underestimate the variety of mental types, for an enormous 

 diversity both qualitative and quantitative can be obtained by combining 

 three independent factors of this kind even when the range of variation 

 of each is small. It is of course irrelevant that three is the largest number 

 of independent variables that can be graphically represented as co-ordinates. 



It is not intended to enter here upon a discussion of the validity of these 

 results, but it may throw some light on the possibilities they contain to 

 consider for a moment the lines of speculation that would be opened up if it 

 were assumed that these independent variables had more than a mathe- 

 matical or mythological existence. In the first place, if they were regarded 

 as psychical entities it is quite certain that it would not be long before 

 attempts were made to identify them with the units of other sciences. The 

 physiologists, assuming them to be hereditary, would give them a footing 

 as full-fledged Mendelian " characters," or in the chromosomes, or perhaps 

 in the secretions of the ductless glands. The sociologists would rediscover 

 them as factors in social evolution, as the causes (or perhaps the effects) of 

 modes of life and types of society. In the second place, the possibility 

 they afforded of immensely simplifying psychological description would 

 inake them invaluable for the purpose of classification. It would almost 

 certainly be found that the points in space representing different individuals 

 were not distributed evenly over the diagram but tended to congregate in 

 patches. Thus " types " would become sharply distinguished, each defin- 

 able in three terms only ; it would need but one more assumption to make 

 the classification genetic, and then " hereditary strains " would emerge, 

 out of which " races " would be created just in time to save anthropology 

 from the confusion in store for it when the cephalic index shall have been 

 thoroughly discredited. We should then have the pleasure of seeing the 

 mythical " Aryan race " or the " Iberian " rehabilitated as the race " x = •], 

 y = 6, z = 5." And, of course, experts on criminals, idiots and children 

 would find their " types " fall into line. Indeed, only the psycho-analysts 

 would be left out of the fun. 



