The Concept of Intelligence

The Concept of Intelligence

One could say that all humans have a certain tendency to think about themselves as of someone special. Moreover, because of some of the most basic instincts, it is in human nature to seek to prove their own superiority. In order to do so, there have to exist specific judging criteria, and that is why the issue of determining what intelligence means has always been very relevant and germane. Numerous philosophers and scientists living during all eras have tried to define the concept of intelligence, and every one of them brought something new to this definition. Overall, considering all the present information, it is possible to conclude that the concept of intelligence should not be defined as a sole ability to comprehend information and learn new skills. On the contrary, it is highly essential to understand that intelligence can manifest itself differently in varying spheres of life. As a result, it makes more sense to talk about the broad spectrum of divergent types of intelligence that cannot be adequately measured rather than about one skill or ability.

As has been mentioned, there exist a number of different definitions of intelligence. The most general and simple one, provided by Oxford Dictionary states that it is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills”. Without a doubt, this broad definition characterizes the overall concept of intelligence. However, its superficialness is also its main disadvantage due to the fact that it does not answer the question of whether an intelligent person is supposed to simply have the ability to learn the new information or to have the ability and utilize it. Moreover, judging by the standards proposed by this definition, it is also impossible to say whether an individual has to be knowledgeable when it comes to all spheres of science, to all spheres of everyday life, or just to one particular area.

As a result, considering these disadvantages of the general definitions of intelligence, it is possible to suggest that in order to at least appear somewhat objective, a description of intelligence has to be more precise and detailed. Over the course of the years, there have been some theories that have adopted this approach and proposed some more complicated ideas regarding the true meaning of the said term. For instance, Robert Sternberg suggested that intelligence is composed of several facets, “of analytical intelligence (problem-solving abilities), creative intelligence (capacity to deal with new situations), and practical intelligence (the ability to adapt to a changing environment)” (What is intelligence?). Even though this theory, most definitely, is a more versatile one, it also cannot be used as a base for an objective assessment of an individual’s intellectual capabilities due to the fact that it does not address the relativeness of all the mentioned abilities.

In general, it is evident that the debate has not been settled yet. As a result, numerous researchers take different approaches to defining intelligence. For instance, a group of scientists conducted a number of experiments during which they compared the participants’ answers and their locations of the brain and found a link between these areas and different types of intelligence (Miller). Supposedly, this experiment confirms the Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory, which suggests that various brain parts are responsible for different kinds of intelligence (Miller). This biological link can be considered an important part of the overall research. However, it is still unclear whether intelligence concerns only the potential of an individual or his or her actual achievements. Moreover, essentially, this theory confirms that different areas of the human brain are responsible for different tasks, which is an already known fact that does note facilitate the process of shifting the paradigm of the concept of intelligence to the more objective one.

As a result, it is possible to suggest that the most appropriate approach to defining the quality of intelligence is to acknowledge the fact that it is something that cannot be measured. As notes the article The concept of intelligence, “one’s intelligence is just the degree to which one resembles a prototypically intelligent person” .On the contrary to the previously mentioned theories, this one acknowledges the fact that the definition of intelligence is highly subjective. While other researchers investigate different components of this quality in order to come up with the ones that may define an intelectually capable individual, this one suggest that it is impossible to do so. Opposing the other teachings, it implies that it may be possible to define the specific area in which an intelligent individual can be but does not have to be proficient, but it is impossible to adequately assess whether knowing one skill or another makes someone intelligent. Thus, as many other concepts, the concept of intelligence can only be used in a subjective manner.

All things considered, it is safe to conclude that intelligence is a quite complicated term. The majority of theories talk about its general definition and certain areas that are associated with this concept. However, almost all of them try to approach this quality as something that can be objectively measured, which is actually impossible due to the fact that the human nature and physiology is highly complicated. All in all, this leads one to believe that the idea of intelligence being only a subjective resemblance of the established image of an intelligent person is the most appropriate way of approaching this term.

Works Cited

“Intelligence | Definition of intelligence in English by Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/intelligence.

Miller, Max. “What Is Intelligence?” Big Think, 2 Sept. 2010, bigthink.com/going-mental/what-is-intelligence-2.

Neisser, Ulric. “The concept of intelligence.” Intelligence, vol. 3, no. 3, 1979, pp. 217–227., doi:10.1016/0160-2896(79)90018-7.

“What is intelligence?” NeuroNation, www.neuronation.com/science/what-is-intelligence.