Trinity College (CT)

The Greek physician Galen expanded upon Hippocrates' theory of the four temperaments. He proposed that imbalances in the four humors could explain not only personality differences but also various diseases. Galen's view, which posited that every individual displays one of the four primary temperaments, became a dominant theory in medicine and philosophy for over a millennium, lasting through the Middle Ages.

Galen's Expansion of the Four Temperaments Theory

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Galen's Idea of a Choleric Personality

Galen's Idea of a Melancholic Personality

Galen's Idea of a Sanguine Personality

Galen's Idea of a Phlegmatic Personality

According to Galen's theory, a choleric person, associated with an excess of yellow bile from the liver, is characterized as being passionate, ambitious, and bold.

Galen's Description of the Choleric Temperament

In Galen's framework, the melancholic person, linked to an excess of black bile from the kidneys, is described as being reserved, anxious, and unhappy.

Galen's Description of the Melancholic Temperament

Galen's theory characterizes the sanguine person, associated with an abundance of red blood from the heart, as joyful, eager, and optimistic.

Galen's Description of the Sanguine Temperament

According to Galen, the phlegmatic person, linked to an excess of white phlegm from the lungs, is typically calm, reliable, and thoughtful.

Galen's Description of the Phlegmatic Temperament

In the 18th century, philosopher Immanuel Kant expanded on Galen's temperament theory. He concurred with the idea that every individual fits into one of four distinct, non-overlapping temperament categories. Kant's main contribution was the creation of a detailed list of traits to describe the personality of a person corresponding to each of the four temperaments.

Immanuel Kant's Contribution to Temperament Theory

In the 19th century, psychologist Wilhelm Wundt proposed that personality could be more effectively described using a two-dimensional model rather than discrete categories. He introduced two primary axes: one distinguishing between emotional and nonemotional tendencies, and another between changeable and unchangeable traits. This model provided a more nuanced way to map and understand the four classical temperaments.

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