Howard Gardner used to define intelligence as “the ability to solve problems or to create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings†(Gardner 33). The modern day human being would most likely include the words “smart†and “dumb†in their definition of intelligence. Gardner questioned the belief of only one intelligence so he created his own theory that involved seven different discoveries. He didn’t want to call these discoveries “skills†or “talents†or gifts†because those all suggested a drawback so he decided on the word “intelligence,†creating his theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner 33). Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences including, linguistic, logical/mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, intrapersonal and interpersonal, has many implications for modern education and culture. Howard Gardner grew up in Pennsylvania in the late 1940’s, although his parents were originally from Germany. He attended Harvard as an undergraduate with the hopes of becoming a lawyer and with a major in history.
