New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-13

confusion is altogether attributable 10 uic aunoi'
mentioned In fact, it is present as an atmosphere
surrounding tile whole subject of genius as IN
sanity, at least in SO far rs this work is concerned
For observe that the author gives two distinct
and wholly incompatible descriptions OF the mat
told. He is represented first as a sort of genius
without impracticaity; a species which refuses
to fall into the general category and so is punished
by being called names. In the second place, he
figures as queer, strange, odd person OF insane
temperament. The unfortunate mattoid cannot
escape the pursuit of the ptiless Professor fer-
haps he thought to avoid his fate by displaying
genius and at the same time living ike 'he
normal man." But he ought to have known that
in displaying genius in any way he sealed ms
doom, and that after that no rectitude and regu-
larity of conduct could save him from being
adjudged insane.
1t is % be regretted that Professor Lombroso
has not defined sanity. No doubt definition OF
it can be constructed on the principle of successive
elimination, from his text; but we should like TO
have had his own formal setting forth of the mat
| ter The conclusion derived from his general
statements and their implications appears to be
that the only sane people in the world are those
who have neither genius without practically nor
genius with practically; who are equally desti-
] tute of talent; and who have no individuality
which may serve to distinguish them, the one
from the other 1t is rather odd that Carlyle who
declared that the 10000, 900 English people were
| mostly FOOLS" referred beyond doubt to tie
order Of folks designated by Professor Lomoroso
as the only sane element in society But per-
haps this may be explained on the theory that
| Carlyle being q degenerate creature and man
of genius, was consequently insane himself, and
| therefore talked nonsense. And now permit us
to call attention to little collocation of words.
already quoted, which might bear the ihterpreta-
ton that the author did not himself more than
half believe in his own hypothesis. Speaking OF
the "mattoids" he says, after having disposed OF
the regular and irregular men of genius that these
form the link between madmen Of genius the sane,
and the insane properly so called" Now what does
the word we have put in inverted commas mean
| II there be but one class of insane properly so
| called" must not the other classes who here
declared insane be improperly so calledP Either
insanity is a definitely illustrative term, or its
use is unscentiic and confusing The latter con-
| clusion is that to which we have been driven by
Professor Lombroso's loose and inexact applica-
ton of the word
1t is true that he gives the characteristics Of
insanity but nowhere does he demonstrate the
possession OF these characteristics by the men Of
genius whom he cites in confirmation of his theory.
And his use of common lapses and defects is conf
CAL For example, everybody often forgets. since
the human memory is generally infrm. But when
a man of genius like Charles Darwin has a fit
Of forgetfulnes, the Professor calls it "amnesia" y
ITO make it appear more awful, apparently, and
straightway imputes it to him for evidence OF
insanity. The application of the term insane
throughout the book is, in fact, so elastic and
so vague that it is made to cover the mildcst
eccentrcity; nay even the least departure from
Tn
been made to the primitive doctrine, and a float
ing argument is secured which can be moved any
where to fit any case. at is well known says
Schopenhauer (who is himself declared in
sane in this book that we seldom
find great genius united with pre- EN-
inent r,asonableness on the contrary, per
sons Of genius are often subject to violent emo
tions and irrational passions. But the ground Of
this is not weakness of reason, but partly I'M
| wonted energy of that whole phenomenon OF will
the man of genius-which expresses itself through
the violence of all his acts of WILL and partly
preponderance of the knowledge of perception
through the senses and understanding over alb
stract knowledge producing decided tendency
TO the perceptible the exceedingly lively I'M
pressons of which so far Outshine colorless con-
cepts that they take their place in the guidance
| of action which consequently becomes irrational.
Schopenhauer fully admits the analogies between
genius and insanity, or rather the tendency OF
the one to pass into the other. But he never
dreamed of such a theory Professor Lombroso's.
l. The fact that genius involves intellectual and
psychcal exaltation exposes il to special dangers
Whatever is specially sensitive encounters most
risk of injury and suffering. The nerves of TIE
civilized man shrink from a 1.-THE Of the pain
that the savage bears with contemptuous indif
| IJ;obIv al
thrown out of gear. But because this is so affords
no ground for the contention that the insanity
to which genius is liable is necessary accompani-
ment OF genius, and still less is ii legitimate
inference that because genius is liable to pass
into insanity therefore it is itself morbid. and
form Of degeneration. OF course Professor LOnl-
broso's hypothesis involves the conclusion that
whether or not man OF genius wholly loses his
reason he lis in condition Of degeneration Thus
he must hold that Shakespeare, the man Of highest
| genius the world has produced. and yet man OF
balanced life, was of the insane temperament, and
an example of intellectual and psychical retro
| pression Is it worth while to develop this
branch of the argument any further? Rather let
us quote few lines from Plato. who has hit the
true relation between the man of genius and
common mortals far more happily than the Turin
professor He expresses his idea by the figure of a
dark cave in which he supposes that men live
AT intervals a few Of them make their way to the
external world, and, returning. are confused
Those who, outside the cave. have seen the true
sunlight and the things that have true being
cannot afterward see properly down in the Gave
because their eyes are not accustomed TO the dark
ness they cannot distinguish the shadows. and
are eered at for their mistakes by those who have
never left the cave and its shadows That is it
Genius has been in the true sunlight. 1t has sur
passed, by intuition the knowledge that can be
acquired by mere talent. 1t has scaled heights
inaccessible to ordinary souls. And because il
finds returning from its exalted and exaltinl
quests the msts and shadows of the cave con