ABSTRACT
Discussions of the intelligence of different social classes or different ethnic groups have been, and still are, characterised by bitter controversy and misunderstandings, though we are beginning to realise at last that much of the trouble is due to people using the term intelligence in different senses. In the first place ‘intelligence’ conveys the meaning — innate capacity, something which the child inherits from his ancestors through the genes, and which determines the mental growth of which he is capable. It is educability as distinct from acquired knowledge or skills. But secondly we use the term ‘intelligent’ to refer to the child or adult who is clever, quick in the uptake, good at comprehending and reasoning, mentally efficient. Yet a third meaning for intelligence is Mental Age or IQ or score on one of the widely used intelligence tests. Each of these three concepts is, as we shall see, highly complex; but it will save a great deal of confusion if we agree to label them Intelligence A, B and C, respectively.
