Free Will & Intelligence

As with most concepts of being and the nature of the human mind, there are many definitions and alternate viewpoints expressed when we look at the concepts of intelligence and free will. Before launching in to a deeper exploration of the two concepts, it is useful to retrieve a working definition of each from a standard dictionary. Webster's New World College Dictionary (Neufeldt 702; 538) defines the concepts as follows:

The ability to learn or understand from experience; ability to acquire and retain knowledge; mental ability; use of the faculty of reason in solving problems, directing conduct, etc. effectively.

Freedom of decision or of choice between alternatives; the freedom of the will to choose a course of action without external coercion but in accordance with the ideals or moral outlook of the individual.

The above definition of intelligence seems to imply that we have free will because intelligence appears to allow us to "direct conduct" effectively. While hard determinism denies free will altogether, it is obvious human beings possess free will from the above definition. We use free will in matters small and large daily. For example, we are free to choose whether we prefer cereal or scrambled eggs at breakfast, and we are free to choose whether we wish to marry one person over another. Even when genetics and historical development are known, variation still exists in human behavior. Thi

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ernal coercion in our opening definition. If I am a single male there may be no coercion on this choice which must be viewed as free. However, if I am a teenager I may face consequences for my free choice to forget washing the car. If married, my wife my coerce me to wash the car by threatening to be upset if I watch the football game instead. Thus, environmental factors can influence free will, but it is up to the person making the choice to choose the course of action most in keeping with their own ideals or moral outlook. This may be another link of intelligence to free will, for I may choose to watch the football game because my ideals include never missing a college football game. However, I may lack intelligence in choosing this choice if I make it knowing I am going to receive consequences from my parents or spouse for doing so. However, in weighing the options by using my free will, I may determine that my own freedom to do as I please overrides any kind of consequences I will have to face. In psychology, psychologists used to rely on tests to measure general mental ability. However, modern psychologists have taken a more cognitive approach to intelligence. This perspective tries to assess the amount of intellige

Category: Psychology - F