The American Phrenological Journal and Miscellany, Vol. 1. No. 8, May 1, 1839

"The American Phrenological Journal and Miscellany, Vol. 1, No. 8" by Various, is a journal issue deeply invested in the science of phrenology, which examines the skull's features to understand a person's mental and moral character. The text opens by championing phrenology as a practical tool, contrasting it with older ways of studying the mind and suggesting it can lead to a fuller grasp of how we think. It questions past thinkers' approaches to the mind, mainly their lack of focus on the brain's importance and the complex mixing of different mental abilities. By using examples such as the emotion "anger", it hopes to give real-world examples of how phrenology can build a greater understanding of mental powers, suggesting that the journal hopes to connect serious science with philosophical ideas about the mind and ethics.