Similar to the "egg and chicken" argument, the long-standing "nature versus nurture" argument regarding behavioral traits has puzzled scientists and educators alike. The diverse viewpoints have spawned various expectations regarding the ability to manipulate intelligence. However, neither genetics nor environment can fully encapsulate and explain the complex behaviour exhibited by humans. Some behaviors seem to not be influenced by experience and others have very convincing learning mechanisms.
[...] (Stoddard 333) His intelligence was thought to be inborn. His discovery marked a big question to the nutrition theory. Could someone without a conducive environment be able to excel? The answer may lie on the innate ability of the person to survive in the threat of oppression. Perhaps John was able to adjust as much as he could to his awful environment and eventually learned to thrive. Perhaps too, other children in his condition could not cope up with this kind of environment. [...]
[...] There are certain concepts and ideas that are universally understood without the barriers of language. Cunningham provided a consensus in these views as believed by psychologists. He said that those who have studied the correlation between environment and intelligence have found out that there is a “remarkable degree of stimulation in the home background or an equally remarkable lack of stimulating environment may raise or depress the measured intelligence of a child” (Stoddard 337). A corollary to this is that even the most conducive environment cannot make a child intelligent if at birth he had a limited capacity to learn. [...]
[...] Stoddard eventually came up with the following definition for intelligence: Intelligence is the ability to undertake activities that are characterized by difficulty, complexity, abstractness, economy, adaptiveness to a goal, social value, and the emergence of originals, and to maintain such activities under conditions that demand a concentration of energy and a resistance to emotional forces. (Stoddard The absence of the source of intelligence is apparent from this definition focusing of the characteristics of the various capabilities attributive to intelligence. Perhaps looking at this definition will shed light to our issue at hand. [...]
[...] Discrimination against the so-called not intelligent may become prevalent. They may not get the opportunities they are entitled to. They may be seen as hopeless cases. Such a viewpoint may prove to be detrimental to society. To say that intelligence lies on environment alone is potentially less destructive but still has probable harm. Adults may think that they can mold their students into whatever type of people they might want them to be. This may promote the hampering of free will. [...]
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