1st Edition

Reading Faces Facial Biometrics from Aristotle to Artificial Intelligence

By Edward Higgs Copyright 2026
248 Pages 19 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

248 Pages 19 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

248 Pages 19 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Reading Faces  is the first book to discuss the historical contexts and theoretical underpinnings of the artificial intelligence (AI) systems that identify individuals, or purport to ascribe emotions and characteristics to them based on their facial features. It examines the direct impact of past research on the development of AI systems; the way in which the past provides contexts... Read more

1. Introduction

2. Facial Recognition

3. Physiognomy and Character

4. Expressions and Emotion Detection

5. Criminality and the Face of Evil

6. The Face of Race

7. Some Overall Conclusions

Biography

Edward Higgs is Professor Emeritus at the School of Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (PHAIS) of the University of Essex. Among his other publications are The Information State in England: The Central Collection of Information on Citizens since 1500 (2004) and Identifying the English: Personal Identification 1500 to the Present (2011).