Gerardus Heymans
Gerardus Heymans (17 April 1857, Ferwert – 18 February 1930, Groningen) was a famous philosopher, psychologist, a follower of Fechner's idea of psychic monism, and from 1890 to 1927 a Professor at Groningen University. His thought was influenced by the work of the Russian philosopher African Spir.[1]
His student Johannes Jacobus Poortman could not agree with his monistic point of view and formulated the concept of hylic pluralism (in Dutch hylisch pluralisme).
On June 11, 1944, the Heymans-Genootschap, an organisation for the continuation of his work, was established.
[edit] Heymans' system of personality classification
This section is based on a translation of the Dutch wikipedia page
Inspired by Ernst Kretschmer and by Jung, he created a personality (or temperament) classification based on a cube with three axes:
- activity (x-axis): energy and quantity of action in response to a motive or stimulus
- emotivity (y-axis): strength and frequency of emotional response to an event or stimulus
- secondarity: degree to which emotions, events, or images have long-term effects
This cube gives rise to eight temperaments at its apexes (names for which were inspired by Greek philosophers and physicians such as Galen and Hippocrates):
- passionate: E+ A+ S+
- phlegmatic: E- A+ S+
- choleric: E+ A+ S-
- sanguine: E- A+ S-
- sentimental: E+ A- S+
- apathetic: E- A- S+
- neurotic: E+ A- S-
- amorphous: E- A- S-
This typology was widely used in Dutch-speaking countries, but has been superseded by more modern typologies such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "William James, of Harvard, was among the first foreigners to take cognizance of Thought and Reality, already in 1873, then Max Müller of Oxford, in Holland Spruyt, Lund and G.Heymans, the latter declared later that Spir exerced a real influence on the elaboration of his thought." Lettres inédites de African Spir au professeur Penjon (Unpublished Letters of African Spir to professor Penjon), Neuchâtel, 1948, p. 231, n. 7.
[edit] External links
 |
This article about a philosopher is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article about a psychologist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
