Definitions of Intelligence

Christopher Whipple (byteboy@simons-rock.edu)
Fri, 11 Dec 1998 11:17:17 -0500 (EST)

Despite all of the flames and hostility, I've noticed recently that younger people have been a more active part of this list. Whether positively or negatively seems to be irrelevant. But it has blessed me with enough courage to post something of my own.

The question arose in a Physiology of the Cetaceans lecture -- how would you go about determining the intelligence of a Cetacean? Which lead us to the more basic question -- how would you define intelligence. I offer you this, my answer:

Intelligence: The ability to logically choose between a set of rational and irrational methods to obtain a goal, project various outcomes, and proceed in realizing the goal - taking as many of the variable into consideration as possible.

Do mind the wording -- my Elementary School fed me the Whole Language curriculum. ;]

However, I did have to word it so that it would be applicable to species other than our own...

Your thoughts?

-christopher
NEWSFLASH: "This just in!! Cain and Abel were switched at birth!"