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If we believe in evolution as expression of genetic traits, And we believe that intellectual capacity has evolved, Then we believe that intellectual capacity is
by jwatte 12y ago
If we believe in evolution as expression of genetic traits,
And we believe that intellectual capacity has evolved,
Then we believe that intellectual capacity is a generic trait.
(Remains to determine whether intellectual capacity genetic trait varies like "has two arms," or like "height," and of course to try to pin down how to measure it, and count how many "its" there may be.)
- klodolph 12y agoAnd our best theories indicate that genetic disposition for intellectual capacity varies between individuals much in the same way that "has two arms" varies between individuals. That is, there are a lot of genes involved and if one of them is changed, you're more likely to end up with missing or malformed arms than you are to end up with super arms. Or what I'm trying to say is that there's no gene for "smart", just like there's no gene for "has two arms".
- bjourne 12y agoThat is reassuring. But do you have any references for that? The only study I can think of is the one where it was showed that Ashkenazi Jews had higher intellectual aptitudes than other ethnic groups. Which would prove that intelligence is on a scale and not on/off. Of course, the result is highly contentious and was criticized on various grounds. One of them being that it is very hard to discover whether a trait is due to genes or the environment.