Aristotles Logical Foundation of Physiognomics :: Aristotle

Aristotles Logical Foundation of PhysiognomicsABSTRACT Whenever we meet an unknown person, our introductory judgment, even unwillingly and often subconsciously, starts from his or her external appearance. Since character weed be properly recognized only from rowing and deeds observe over some time, at first sight we have to assert on what we promptly can see. This physiognomical first approach to each otherwise is as old as humankind, and, though it has never been able to be proved a proper science, in all(prenominal)day life we totally believe in and use physioculture. The earliest extant written represent on the subject is the pseudo-Aristotelian treatise Physiognomonica. The author of its first part, in discussing the methodology of the art, refers to Aristotle, who develops the crystalline foundation of physiognomical inference as an enthymeme, a syllogism from signs. Yet, concentrating solely on the clod logical analysis, Aristotle does not touch the central point of physiognomics it C. S. Peirces find of the triadic relation of the sign that was able to shed new light on this central problem and to see physiognomics as a process of semiosis. Thus, Aristotle founded the formal logical basis, from which modern semiotics developed new approaches to physiognomics, taking them in account in several strands of their research.Whenever we meet an unknown person, our first discretion unwillingly and often subconsciously starts from his or her external appearance. Almost every aspect of it can be regarded as some kind of hint for instance, clothing and hairstyle tell something about social status and personal fashion, seventh cranial nerve expression and gestures indicate the emotional state of mind, and clinical symptoms allow to call a disease. Yet all those features are superficial and changeable, and therefore beginnert tell anything about the inner nature and character of a person, by which we define personality and identity. Since charact er shows itself only in words and deeds, it would need a long-term observation to detect it (always unrealistically anticipate that the character be constant), and still there is hardly a vindication against wilful deceit. Here, as a short-cut method, physiognomics is used the art of inferring character from the manakin of body and face especially from those features that can hardly be influenced by their bearer like bone-structure, stature, voice, and the supposedly unconscious parts of body language.An immediate physiognomical inference is necessary for survival in the animal world to check at first glance whether the other is prey or predator, genius or foe, that is whether it is save to stay and to approach or better to flee, to sustain or attack.