The Concept of Intelligence

Abstract

The concept of intellectual ability has been evident in western literature at least since the time of Plato. In his history of mental retardation Scheerenberger (1983) cites a number of references to people who lack intellectual capacity in early writings. In Roman times it was recognised that people differed in terms of keenness of mind, which was thought to be dependent on fineness of brain substance. In the early Middle Ages Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Sima (980–1037) defined various levels of intellectual functioning, and was aware that brain injury could affect memory and speech. In England during the time of Edward I and II, attempts were made to assess the intellectual capacity of idiots. In the New Naturea Brevium published in 1534, Sir Anthony Fitzherbert offered the following primitive intelligence test: ‘And he who shall be said to be a sot and idiot at birth, is such a person who cannot account or number twenty pence, nor can tell who was his father or mother, nor how old he is, etc., so as it may appear that he hath no understanding of reason what shall be for his profit, nor what for his loss. But if he hath such understanding, that he knows and understands his letters, and do read by teaching or information of another man, then it seemeth he is not a sot nor a natural idiot.’