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How do you define Intelligence? (1 Viewer)

Gus Horsley

Gus Horsley

Well-known member
We see lots of debate about which is the most intelligent species of bird/mammal/insect,etc, but what exactly defines "intelligence". Is it the ability to adapt to a particular environment (if so we humans are a bit dim), or the abilty to use tools, or the ability to work out a problem, or what?
Go on, give us some ideas.

Gus
 
Hello

Good question. I'm thinking along the lines of how an organism interprets and uses new information. One of aspect of this could be it's ability to adapt to it's environment if it's making some sort of concious effort towards that end. I could be wrong here, but I think of adaption as something a bit different to an intelligent process. I see it as either evolutionary with selection pressures at work on generations over long periods of time, or as physiological changes to an individual over time, like how repeatedly lifting heavy weights will cause you to increase muscle mass.

This definition of intelligence should rule out behaviour that it inherited. Where learning from past mistakes is concerned, most organisms that survive a mistake gain a pretty healthy aversion to similar situations.

I'm not even getting started on where humans enter this!!!! :)

Best to all

Jack
 
I think the ability to deal with abstract concepts is part of the (human) definition of intelligence.

Watching the recent Life in the Undergrowth made be think again about the "border" between instinct and... er... I've forgotten the word, but I mean the ability to choose one's actions.

There was a sequence in which a ground wasp was taking care of its eggs, and looked for all the world like it was decision-making, problem-solving and actively caring for its future offspring, rather than simply reacting to stimuli.

Made me wonder just where the line is, and whether our much-vaulted ability to deal with abstract concepts is purely instinctive, and conditonal on the stimuli we receive – and maybe we aren’t as “intelligent” as we think we are.
 
birdman said:
...between instinct and... er... I've forgotten the word, but I mean the ability to choose one's actions.
Click to expand...
Free will... God, I'm getting old!!!
 
birdmanMade me wonder just where the line is said:
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Click to expand...

I think you've got something there. Certainly when you suggest we're not as intelligent as we think we are. Which is a major problem. We seem to think that our "superior intelligence" gives us a right to manipulate our environment, whereas perhaps we haven't yet reached a sufficient level of development to do so. My belief is that we have a greater arrogance than other species, otherwise we wouldn't do the things we do.

I think this losing the plot thing is catching. I just read my own post here and haven't got a clue what I'm talking about! Oh well, can't be bothered to start again. Sheer laziness.

Gus
 
Gus Horsley said:
I think you've got something there. Certainly when you suggest we're not as intelligent as we think we are. Which is a major problem. We seem to think that our "superior intelligence" gives us a right to manipulate our environment, whereas perhaps we haven't yet reached a sufficient level of development to do so. My belief is that we have a greater arrogance than other species, otherwise we wouldn't do the things we do.

I think this losing the plot thing is catching. I just read my own post here and haven't got a clue what I'm talking about! Oh well, can't be bothered to start again. Sheer laziness.

Gus
Click to expand...

Only human beings exhibit intelligence.
 
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