NO MEMORY, NO INTELLIGENCE (10/1/77)

The "apply part" is the conclusion of the process of "knowledge handling".

Now . . . . . time is implied in all the elements of "intelligence".  "Perception" and "store" take a little time.  "Keep" may consume a lot of time.  "Recall" and "evaluate" may take a significant amount of time as well as the application of knowledge.

I am not sure yet just what is the real significance of "time".  It may require an in-depth probe into the nature of time itself.

In any event, how good is this definition of intelligence??  Well, it says that any entity that is capable of perceiving, storing, keeping, recalling, evaluating, and applying knowledge is intelligent!!!

Okay – What things might qualify to be intelligent?

Let's grade "Ability" . . . . . .H - High

                                           L - Low

                                          N - None

Well, these degrees of ability were hastily assigned.  Obviously, each "box" should be considered thoroughly before a letter is assigned . . . . . . . and here it wasn’t!  But this chart represents a good way to analyze the elements of intelligence.

Thinking further about our definition, we probably should indicate that no assistance is required in complying with the elements of intelligence.  Also we need to add something about self acknowledgement or . . . . . transmission of the result of the deliberation and conclusion.

Another try ------Intelligence is:

"The independent ability of a given systematic structure or entity to perceive, store, keep, recall, evaluate and apply knowledge and that the resuling manifestation is . . . . .

……..No!  transmission of a thought is not a property of intelligence!

Again . . . . .

Intelligence is:

"The ability of a given systematic structure, independent of other such entities to perceive, store, keep, recall, evaluate and apply knowledge".

Now here we have a problem and that is how to define the structural boundaries to determine if the entity is independent!  And it's a serious problem . . . . .

A human being must be operational to exhibit intelligence.  That is the senses and brain must be functional.  To be functional, fuel must be oxidized within the body.  So the body, which contributes elements of intelligence, is dependent on food and oxygen to perpetuate and to regenerate cells.

So there is a dependency on certain "feed stock", environmental conditions etc.  However, there is no dependency on "other such entities" to assist with perception, storage, retention, recall, evaluation and application of knowledge.  This is not to say that an assist would not improve the processing of knowledge, in general it would.  Remember different entities will have different degrees of ability . . . . . .. greater or lesser intelligence.

But this is true . . . . . . .             No food and oxygen, no body

                                                No senses, no brain and . . . .

                                                No Intelligence!!!!!!

However, it is clear that we are intelligent.  At least, let's assume that we are.

So, the critical dependency is not that which is required for existence, but that specifically related to the processing of knowledge!

But something just doesn't seem right.

Where is the virtue?  In the independence, the perception, the storage, the retention, the recall, the evaluation, the application????  Or, I should have said where is the intelligence, the real essence?

Okay – What about perception – Suppose a man of 40 years looses his sight, hearing and all of his senses and say his physical mobility.  Do we say that this man is not intelligent any more?  The answer is No!  Of course not.  He has access to knowledge via his memory and can conduct, within his mind, the processes of recall, evaluation and application of knowledge even though it may not be apparent to an observer.

Now – store, keep and recall have to do with memory.  Suppose a person is a victim of amnesia and can't remember past events or his name, etc.  We don't call this person unintelligent. But now suppose that a person, for some tragic reason, looses all memory of earthly events.  We now have a 40 year old baby – totally helpless and apparently of little intelligence to an outside observer.  The question is . . . . . . has this person lost his intelligence????  Is he an idiot?  For all practical reasons – Yes!  The difficulty here is that loss of memory is not simply forgetting your old house, your mother, your wife, your name, etc., but forgetting how an apple tastes, the difference between hot and cold, the difference between good and bad, how to reason and absolutely and totally everything ever perceived!  Well – this is a damn serious situation.

But I'm not prepared to declare this person unintelligent yet!

Let's look at the other elements, evaluation and application of knowledge.

To evaluate and apply knowledge, one must have quick and easy access to knowledge, and this knowledge is not always available in a complete and concentrated form.  For example if knowledge were perceived in a stream, always available, always complete, always comprehensive, always accessible . . . . . a "horn of plenty", never running out, then there would be no need for a store house.  Water is a prime example.  We don't store water because it is always available.  But to put all the knowledge of the universe into a municipal pipeline is simply not possible.  We just cannot have instant access to knowledge, so in order to gain a reasonable amount of knowledge to evaluate and apply, we must store it.  A 5-cent – 10-cent store could not possibly operate if it had no large storage capability because it would have to rely on daily deliveries of every item that it sold to the customers.  Think of it!  500-1000 delivery trucks each day would have to deliver the goods . . . . . . . . . .the horn of plenty . . . . . .  Therefore evaluation and application is dependent on a storehouse full of knowledge.

If you say that the poor man who lost all earthly memories is still intelligent because he still should be able to evaluate and apply knowledge if he had it or had access to the knowledge "horn of plenty", I say you are using a "big if".  The nature of knowledge is such that it comes in spurts, spaced with time, lagged and deteriorated and cannot be unified for all consumers.  Therefore the "horn of plenty" doesn't exist!

And so the memory is the key to intelligence!  Of course, the other elements are required for high intelligence, but the memory is essential, it's critical, it is the storehouse of knowledge, it is the prime ingredient for an intelligent being.

No Memory . . . . . No Intelligence!!!!!!!!!!!!