Ethics and intelligence

[GrowingSmaller]

Ones IQ score is not a measure of ethical capacity. Its more like a test for cognitive skills for crosswords, maths puzzles, and brains that might serve university departments.


Nowadays I rarely hear "Oh, he's such a spiritual guy" or "What a good person!" when listening to culturally popular chatter. Its more "Oh so clever!!!" is a high accolade.

It seems you can get away without being moral or spiritual, but lacking IQ is a major cultural disadvantage.

So, also, I hear of peoples "stupid" or "mindless" thuggish behaviour, as if in some circumstances morality is an aspect of intelligence.

Your opinions on this?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Spirituality can only be tested by the fruit or results of said spirituality. The first question to live in, what is the goal? Be specific, then examine your life.

 

[muichimotsu]

You could be moral and not have the capacity to effectively defend it, or you could be moral and dogmatically affirm it. And alternatively you can be intelligent, but not have the prudence to see the need for morality or you can appeal to bare authority and not care about morality rather than obedience

 

[DaisyDay]

The relationship between intelligence and ethics is that the more intelligent a person is, the more skilled his rationalization for his lack of ethics will be.

Intelligent people are very good at fooling themselves - and other people.

 

[Larniavc]

Ones IQ score is not a measure of ethical capacity. Its more like a test for cognitive skills for crosswords, maths puzzles, and brains that might serve university departments.


Nowadays I rarely hear "Oh, he's such a spiritual guy" or "What a good person!" when listening to culturally popular chatter. Its more "Oh so clever!!!" is a high accolade.

It seems you can get away without being moral or spiritual, but lacking IQ is a major cultural disadvantage.

So, also, I hear of peoples "stupid" or "mindless" thuggish behaviour, as if in some circumstances morality is an aspect of intelligence.

Your opinions on this?

I don’t think the are correlated.

 

[muichimotsu]

The relationship between intelligence and ethics is that the more intelligent a person is, the more skilled his rationalization for his lack of ethics will be.

Intelligent people are very good at fooling themselves - and other people.

And that's why wisdom is important, but not to the exclusion of intelligence in that it allows for self correction in different manners than wisdom would, and wisdom would also be best applied in recognizing that intelligence aids in furthering knowledge to apply, even if it isn't the end goal in itself for human flourishing.

 

[eik]

Ones IQ score is not a measure of ethical capacity. Its more like a test for cognitive skills for crosswords, maths puzzles, and brains that might serve university departments.


Nowadays I rarely hear "Oh, he's such a spiritual guy" or "What a good person!" when listening to culturally popular chatter. Its more "Oh so clever!!!" is a high accolade.

It seems you can get away without being moral or spiritual, but lacking IQ is a major cultural disadvantage.

So, also, I hear of peoples "stupid" or "mindless" thuggish behaviour, as if in some circumstances morality is an aspect of intelligence.

Your opinions on this?

A mind at emnity with God, and thus unable to control the passions of the flesh, such as greed or lust (for violence or for anything), will sometimes lead to a person engaging in delinquent behaviour, but that is not to say that they may not also be intelligent (as to IQ).

Criminal minds are often the most worldly-wise minds. Their high IQ level leads them to suppose they can beat the system, but oft-times it's a case of loss of self-control, or naked greed. There are quite a few bankers in jail, from Madoff to Barclays Bank cashiers recently jailed who stole £150,000 and assumed they could get away with it.

Crooks can be extremely cunning and their intelligence goes into concealing their crimes. It is why scripture says refrain from too much judging and wait until the day of judgement, when the secrets of men's hearts will be exposed.

 

[public hermit]

A mind at emnity with God, and thus unable to control the passions of the flesh, such as greed or lust (for violence or for anything), will sometimes lead to a person engaging in delinquent behaviour, but that is not to say that they may not also be intelligent (as to IQ).

Let's be fair. There are those who claim no belief in God and yet they are able to control their passions and don't engage in delinquent behavior. Just as there is no necessary connection between intelligence and morality, there is also no necessary connection between belief in God and moral behavior. I have known highly intelligent theists who also engaged in highly suspect moral behavior.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Nowadays I rarely hear "Oh, he's such a spiritual guy" or "What a good person!" when listening to culturally popular chatter. Its more "Oh so clever!!!" is a high accolade.

Culturally popular chatter? I think intelligence is not that common, compared to 'talent' or 'goodness' (at least to the extent that people are associated with causes or charities) or...

 

[GrowingSmaller]

I don’t think the are correlated.

I read a Shi'a Muslim book and it outlined intelligence (or intellect) as first needing presence, then also having a certain capacity, then also requiring usage to reach correct conclusions, and finally acting on those conclusions.

That's why I posted, its an old but also a thought provoking definition in this day and age.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Culturally popular chatter? I think intelligence is not that common, compared to 'talent' or 'goodness' (at least to the extent that people are associated with causes or charities) or...

I suppose it depends on subculture then? In some subcultures its a buzzword, on others not so.

 

[Strathos]

IQ is not even a reliable measure of functional intelligence.

 

[MehGuy]

Practicing a code of ethics does not always have to come strictly from the heart, sometimes its done out of practicality. The more intelligent a person is the more likely they are to foresee possible consequences for their actions and have more of an incentive to avoid doing them. While a less intelligent person will more than likely think less and act out more.

 

[Larniavc]

I read a Shi'a Muslim book and it outlined intelligence (or intellect) as first needing presence, then also having a certain capacity, then also requiring usage to reach correct conclusions, and finally acting on those conclusions.

That's why I posted, its an old but also a thought provoking definition in this day and age.

You shouldn’t use religious text as scientific literature.

 

[variant]

Ones IQ score is not a measure of ethical capacity. Its more like a test for cognitive skills for crosswords, maths puzzles, and brains that might serve university departments.


Nowadays I rarely hear "Oh, he's such a spiritual guy" or "What a good person!" when listening to culturally popular chatter. Its more "Oh so clever!!!" is a high accolade.

It seems you can get away without being moral or spiritual, but lacking IQ is a major cultural disadvantage.

So, also, I hear of peoples "stupid" or "mindless" thuggish behaviour, as if in some circumstances morality is an aspect of intelligence.

Your opinions on this?

IQ is mostly a measure of pattern recognition. It translates directly to morality only in the sense that morality is a learned behavior dependent on patterns.

The problem with smart people and morality is that they are the people who can convince themselves and others that wrong is right. Being manipulative is highly advantageous socially but also usually morally ambiguous.

The most dangerous smart person is the evil that has convinced themselves and others that they are the good.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Practicing a code of ethics does not always have to come strictly from the heart, sometimes its done out of practicality. The more intelligent a person is the more likely they are to foresee possible consequences for their actions and have more of an incentive to avoid doing them. While a less intelligent person will more than likely think less and act out more.

So how would that apply to something like direct action, and getting arrested for ethical reasons. For example, in a climate change protest.


If that's a valid example of intelligence, does it imply that I (who am not so arrested), or average Joe, Sue etc. have less intelligence...??

 

[GrowingSmaller]

You shouldn’t use religious text as scientific literature.

Ok science is science, but where does science get its measure of functionality from? AFAIK academic, business and military uses are quite important in defining IQ.

But what about helping the homeless - is that scientifically intelligent?

What about the Golden Rule??

Good wording and polite manners?

 

[GrowingSmaller]

What about:
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom - Corninthians

 

[Larniavc]

Ok science is science, but where does science get its measure of functionality from? AFAIK academic, business and military uses are quite important in defining IQ.

But what about helping the homeless - is that scientifically intelligent?

What about the Golden Rule??

Good wording and polite manners?

I’m not sure what you are asking.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

I’m not sure what you are asking.

Why is ethical behaviour not on IQ tests. It seems that if its better to be ethical we ought to do it, and its reasonable to say it s intelligent.
But psychopaths for instance can have high IQ but little moral compass.

So, also, what "good" is IQ if it doesn't promote "the good" in general.