The Historical Development of the Concept of Intelligence

Abstract

In the historical development of capitalism differing conceptions of the foundations for social classes appear. During the phase of competitive capitalism, faculty psychology dominated the thinking of theoreticians. Its prin cipal postulate was that industriousness socially categorized individuals but that the human mind was more or less equally perceptive. In the period of monopoly capitalism an entirely new ideological conception of social relations arose. That conception was intelligence, a central theme within the pragmatism of James and Dewey. Intelligence was intended to dissolve the class struggle which intensified in the period of monopoly capitalism. The essence of intelligence is an inward- looking individualism that negated struggle as the basis for social change. In stead, intelligence postulated the irrationality of attempting to change society since society was nothing more than a sum total of an innate character, intelli gence. Lastly, intelligence was an ideological form that reflected the social rela tions of production. As such the practical application of the ideological concept, i.e., I.Q. testing, reinforced a consciousness corresponding to monopoly capital ist society.