An Historical Causal-Chain Theory of Conceptions of Intelligence
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Date
2023
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Abstract
Lurking behind every conception of intelligence—whether an implicit (folk) or explicit (expert-generated) conception—is an underlying theory of meaning that specifies the form the theory of intelligence does and, indeed, can take. These underlying theories of meaning become presuppositions for the conception’s form. The theories of meaning have different origins—for example, psycholinguistic, philosophical, and anthropological. This essay reviews the different underlying theories of meaning and proposes a new historical causal-chain theory of conceptions of intelligence. The underlying theories of meaning affect the flexibility and modifiability of laypersons’ (implicit) and experts’ (explicit) conceptions of intelligence. As a result, these historical causal chains have profound but largely invisible effects on societies.
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Keywords
Intelligence, Historical causal-chain theory of meaning, Exemplar theory of meaning, Prototype theory of meaning, Defining features, Characteristic features, Sociocultural theory of meaning, Faith, Authority