Question Could you explain the relationship between intellect and morality? Obviously, from the questions I read on this site, many people expect these philosophers, i.e. brilliant men, to come up with answers about living in a good manner. But why is this assumption about the correlation between morality (applied and not theoretical) and intellect so persistent and enduring?

Accepted:
June 21, 2006

Comments

I don't know if there is any general presumption that intelligence and morality go together. And it's up for grabs, I think, whether there is any general faculty of "intelligence," equally applicable to, and equally present in all domains. But suppose we're talking about "school intelligence" -- the kind of ability that's tested on IQ tests. In that case, I think the following can be said:

If one is basically a good person, or tries sincerely to be, then intelligence can be an aid in acting morally, and in understanding what morality is. It can help you develop a comprehensive and consistent system of moral principles, help you render your judgements consistent, help you think of new cases to test out your principles, and help you keep your thinking straight when matters get complicated.

But if you are dishonest, insensitive, selfish, cruel, or negligent, intelligence can be a hindrance to your moral development insofar as it facilitates your constructing clever, but bogus rationalizations for your immoral behavior.