Francis Galton’s Hereditary Genius, 1869 & 1892

Rebecca Mitchell

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Abstract

Francis Galton’s Hereditary Genius (1869, reissued 1892) claimed to be the first statistical study of genius. Drawing on data culled from biographies and biographical dictionaries of “eminent” figures, he argued that creative and intellectual exceptionalism was measurable and heritable. Despite their claims of objectivity, the two editions demonstrate the extent to which scientific theories of intelligence and creativity were shaped by popular discourse, particularly that surrounding the figure of the Romantic genius and the ascendant Aesthete. This essay explores the influence of cultural notions of genius on Galton’s studies and notes briefly the lasting impact of his methodology, which forms the basis of IQ testing still in use today.
Original languageEnglish
JournalBRANCH: Britain, Representation, and Nineteenth-Century History
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2016

Keywords

  • Francis Galton
  • Genius
  • Romanticism

Access to Document

  • Mitchell_Galton_Revised

    Checked for eligibility: 12/08/2016. The text of this article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 3.0). Mitchell, Rebecca N. “Francis Galton’s Hereditary Genius, 1869 & 1892.” BRANCH: Britain, Representation and Nineteenth-Century History. Ed. Dino Franco Felluga. Extension of Romanticism and Victorianism on the Net. Web 12/08/2016.

    Accepted author manuscript, 62.7 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

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