The Autonomy of Moral Intelligence

Abstract

There has been a long-standing debate in the field of human development between those who believe that intelligence is a single entity and those who believe that intelligence consists of several relatively independent components or domains. It will be argued in this essay that there are multiple intelligences and that moral intelligence is one of these separate autonomous intelligences. ARE THFRE SINGLE OR MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES?Both single intelligence (SI) and multiple intelligences (MI) theorists make certain epistemological assumptions about the nature and source of knowledge as well as metaphysical assumptions about the nature of persons. Those who argue that intelligence is a single entity generally accept traditional philosophical dualism, which separates humans into two distinct substancesmind and bodywith intelligence, which includes linguistic, analytical, and mathematical ability as well as the capacity to make free choices, being considered an attribute of the former. Emotion and instinct are seen as attributes of the body. Other animals, according to dualists, are made up only of body. Consequently, although they may have instincts and feelings, they lack intelligence. Because of the dualist's assumption that intelligence is uniquely human, intelligence has traditionally been narrowly defined in terms of those characteristics which only humans supposedly have, such as the ability to grasp abstract relations and to engage in abstract problem solving or analytical reasoning. It is further argued that these mental abilities are all a function of one underlying intelligence or what Charles Spearman called the general or "g" factor, which focuses primarily on abstract reasoning, understanding relationships, and memorization. Single intelligence theorists such as Spearman thought that these supposedly interrelated mental functions could be measured by an appropriate test. These single intelligence tests are often referred to as IQ tests.Although it may be argued that the seeds of a multiple intelligences theory are present in their writings, Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg both maintained that people go through specific and distinct lineal stages of cognitive development on their way to "adult" or formal reasoning.' Moral reasoning is simply a function of this single intelligence. Attaining a certain level of cognitive development is, therefore, a necessary though not a sufficient condition (since social interaction is also important) for moral development. If cognitive development is arrested then moral development is likewise arrested.

Multiplying the Problems of Intelligence by Eight: A Critique of Gardner's Theory

“…D. Matthews (1988) argued in favour of it, noting that gifted students usually excel in a single domain, such as mathematics or music. Other authors have suggested friendly revisions, such as the need for a "moral" intelligence, clarification of the theory or its implications, more evidence, or recognition of other educational concerns (Boss, 1994;Eisner, 1994;Levin, 1994). Some researchers in the psychometric tradition have rejected MI theory outright, claiming that Gardner's intelligences correlate positively with I.Q.…”

Σχεδιασμός Εφαρμογή Και Αξιολόγηση Εκπαιδευτικού Προγράμματος

“…Ζ αηζηνδνμία νξηζκέλσλ κειεηεηώλ γηα ηηο δπλαηόηεηεο πνπ παξέρεη ε ραξηνγξάθεζε ηνπ εγθεθάινπ ζηνλ ζρεδηαζκό δηδαθηηθώλ κεζόδσλ, πξνζαξκνζκέλσλ ζηνλ ηξόπν πνπ ιεηηνπξγεί ν εγθέθαινο, ηνπο νδήγεζε ζην λα επεθηείλνπλ ηε γλσζηή ζεσξία ηεο πνιιαπιήο λνεκνζύλεο (Gardner, 1983ֹ 1993, ώζηε λα πεξηιάβεη έλαλ αθόκε ηύπν λνεκνζύλεο, ηελ εζηθή κε έληνλα ζπλαηζζεκαηηθά ζηνηρεία (Boss, 1994ֹ Coles, 1997. Δληνύηνηο, έρεη αζθεζεί έληνλε θξηηηθή ηόζν ζηελ έλλνηα ηεο «εζηθήο λνεκνζύλεο», όζν θαη ζε εθείλε ηεο «ζπλαηζζεκαηηθήο».…”