Book contents
- THE PRACTICAL MIND
- THE PRACTICAL MIND
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Part IFoundations
- Chapter 1Skill
- Chapter 2Skill in Action
- Chapter 3Intelligence Socialism
- Chapter 4Intelligence, Regresses, and Empiricism
- Chapter 5A Theory of Natural Talent
- Chapter 6Intellectualisms
- Part IIIntellectualism with a Human Face
- Epilogue
- References
- Index
Chapter 5 - A Theory of Natural Talent
from Part I - Foundations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 March 2026
Book contents
- THE PRACTICAL MIND
- THE PRACTICAL MIND
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Part IFoundations
- Chapter 1Skill
- Chapter 2Skill in Action
- Chapter 3Intelligence Socialism
- Chapter 4Intelligence, Regresses, and Empiricism
- Chapter 5A Theory of Natural Talent
- Chapter 6Intellectualisms
- Part IIIntellectualism with a Human Face
- Epilogue
- References
- Index
Summary
Chapter 5 A THEORY OF NATURAL TALENTS singles out two theoretical questions surrounding talents. The first is whether their existence is a myth. The second is whether talents are necessary for acquiring skills. I argue that accepting the existence of talents helps account for some robust psychological generalizations. On the other hand, there are good reasons to think that in a variety of domains, talents are by no means required for skill acquisition. I develop a novel theory of talents—capacitism—which falls out from the theory of intelligence developed in Chapter 4 and provides the philosophical foundation for debunking the myth of the raw talent. The final section concludes the general argument that skill is a natural kind.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Practical MindSkill, Knowledge, and Intelligence, pp. 111 - 135Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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