Thread: What is Intelligence?

Originally Posted by really

There's not a lot of substance here. Wouldn't you think that if intelligence can only be observed through action, then surely it does not apply to things that do not or cannot act? E.g. Inert objects, which are arguably both unaware and unintelligent, or in your words, non-intelligent and non-conscious.

The quote: "...but this also means that there's no solid line separating intelligent from non-intelligent, nor conscious from non-conscious. " does not really show me how you think the two terms are not "married" either.

Well that's why my main point is that intelligence does not exist. Only consciousness. Everything else is just arbitrary semantics.

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

Well that's why my main point is that intelligence does not exist. Only consciousness. Everything else is just arbitrary semantics.

Let me see If I understand your idea...

If we were to compare a man of average intelligence to say, someone like Earnest Rutherford, while many say that Rutherford is more intelligent (which I think in the common conception of what intelligence is, is highly likely) you would see as just semantics to the real root "intelligence", i.e consciousness. The notion you would suggest is that his intelligence is a manifestation of his highly perceptive and aware brain that connect logical patterns and reasoning that ground the framework quantum mechanics of electrons.

In this model of intelligence, knowledge would then be what people are mistaken as intelligence. Which of course, we see all the time, very "knowledgeable" people being mistaken as having high conscious capacity (or what we would call intelligence).

I don't really think this is trumps the idea of "intelligence", it just puts it in a different, arguably, more appropriate context in our language; and of course, the clearer our language is, the better.
If I am completely missing the point please guide me, you don't really seem to elaborate a lot on your reasoning and your views for the deeper point you were trying to make until now, which is that intelligence has different connotations and for all intents and purposes does not "exist" or apply in the contemporary context of capacity to reason.

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

Well that's why my main point is that intelligence does not exist. Only consciousness. Everything else is just arbitrary semantics.

That's your main point? Where is this thread going?

Define consciousness.

Originally Posted by Omnis Dei

Well that's why my main point is that intelligence does not exist. Only consciousness. Everything else is just arbitrary semantics.

since you admitted it. i have to admit that you do exist, alive and concious, but not intelligent