| Abstract: | The case of Francis Galton illustrates that a psychologically oriented biographer must be opportunistic in selecting which psychodynamic theories to use because such choices are inevitably constrained by the nature of the available data. The data from Galton's childhood, though copious, are more usefully dealt with from an Adlerian than a Freudian perspective. Galton's theory of innate and hereditary intellectual differences is derived at least partly from his sense of personal inferiority, and his scientific and literary style is related to his birth order position as a youngest child. For interpretation of Galton's responses to the stresses of medical training in adolescence, the Freudian conception of ego defense mechanisms proved useful. The few available hints regarding his sexuality are possibly related to a midlife crisis he experienced in the 1860s, which culminated in his inspiration for eugenics. The article concludes with a discussion of the general nature, advantages, and limitations of the personality theories available to a biographer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
