Triarchic Theories Of Intelligence

Aristotle and Sternberg

Tigner, Robert B.
Tigner, Steven S.

¹Division of Social Science, Truman State University
²Department of Philosophy and School of Education, Boston University

³Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Robert B. Tigner, Division of Social Science, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri 63501. Electronic mail may be sent to [email protected].

Received Date: August 13, 1998; Revised Date: August 29, 1999; Accepted Date: October 31, 1999

History of Psychology 3(2):p 168-176, May 2000.

Aristotle's triarchic theory of intelligence prefigures, but apparently does not serve directly as a source for, Sternberg's comparable contemporary theory. The independently derived similarities in their gross structure lend weight to some triarchic view. Sternberg's analytical, practical, and creative intelligences closely resemble Aristotle's theoretical, practical, and productive excellences of intelligence. Each comparable component incorporates significantly related ideas. Disparities may be attributed to a variety of differences in the aims, methods, and resources of Aristotle's and Sternberg's inquiries. This is not the first time in the history of psychology that roughly parallel investigations have yielded comparable theories, but it is surely among the most temporally disjoined.