Character and Temperament
- Author:
Joseph Jastrow. New York and London:
Appleton & Co., 1915. Pp. xviii-|-596.
It has been said in jest, that the man or woman who is fond of talking about temperament may be safely assumed to have none; and that the man or woman who is deeply concerned about his or her own character, has none worth fostering. But character and temperament are very real factors in human behavior. Professor Jastrow calls them, “the psychological sources of human quality.” He says, “The composite term character and temperament has the currency of tradition; the possibility of interpreting it for presentday psychology is an inviting task.” The task which Professor Jastrow has accomplished is truly inviting. That the “currency of tradition” has more weight for him than has “present-day psychology,” is evident. The psychology of this book is the psychology of the educated layman, of the reader of novels and literary magazines. Likewise, the sociological and biological generalizations upon which Professor Jastrow draws lavishly, are the generalizations of twenty years ago. Of present-day advances in the three great sciences of humanity, his book contains no hint. The work done, for example, in the field of heredity by the Pearson laboratory in London, and in the field of clinical psychology by the many clinics and laboratories in this country, is left unexplored. The book occupies the pleasant and uncharted land between science and interpretive literature. The scientist will call it an essay; the essayist may prefer to look upon it as a scientific work. Psychologists who are making a scientific analysis of the fundamental variations of character and temperament and their causes, will get little, if any, assistance from this book. Workers for human progress, who “look forward and not back” will find it disappointing. But many cultivated minds will appreciate the grace of Professor Jastrow’s style, and will consider that his views have a distinction which more than compensates for their lack of originality. A. T.
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