97 Things About Ethics Everyone in Data Science Should Know

Chapter 4. Cautionary Ethics Tales: Phrenology, Eugenics,​...and Data Science?

Sherrill Hayes

Director, PhD in Analytics and Data Science, Kennesaw State University

Phrenology, from phren meaning “mind” and logos meaning “knowledge,” was the study of the shapes and contours of the skull as indicative of human mental faculties and character traits. It was developed initially by Franz Joseph Gall (1758–1828) and grew to an internationally recognized science and practice throughout the 19th century. A related area of science that emerged in the 19th century and continued throughout the 20th century was eugenics. Although these practices once had scientific support and popular appeal, both have been wholly debunked. So what do these discredited pseudosciences have to do with data science ethics? When we consider the methods, applications, and zeitgeist of their day, some eerie echoes reverberate across time to provide a cautionary tale.

So What Did Phrenologists and Eugenicists Do?

Phrenologists used scientific instruments such as tape measures and calipers to record the size and map the contours of people’s heads. They believed the brain was an organ that grew or atrophied from natural predispositions or repeated use, and thus the size, shape, and bumps of a person’s head reflected the growth of the brain underneath. They used their measurements of these features, along with behavioral ...