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Gardner's Multiple Intelligences — Detailed View
Howard Gardner's Frames of Mind (1983, Harvard Graduate School of Education) revolutionised educational psychology. Gardner's criteria for an intelligence: it must have a distinct neural basis, evolutionary history, core operations, and developmental trajectory.
| Intelligence | Core Capacity | Representative Person | Career Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linguistic | Sensitivity to words, grammar, meaning | William Shakespeare, Maya Angelou | Writer, lawyer, politician |
| Logical-Mathematical | Logical reasoning, pattern recognition | Albert Einstein, Alan Turing | Scientist, engineer, IAS officer |
| Spatial | Mental visualisation, navigation | Pablo Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright | Architect, surgeon, planner |
| Musical | Pitch, rhythm, musical structure | Ludwig van Beethoven, Ravi Shankar | Musician, sound engineer |
| Bodily-Kinaesthetic | Body movement and object handling | Milkha Singh, PT Usha | Athlete, surgeon, craftsperson |
| Interpersonal | Understanding others' intentions and moods | Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela | Teacher, politician, counsellor |
| Intrapersonal | Self-knowledge and introspection | Sigmund Freud, Swami Vivekananda | Philosopher, therapist |
| Naturalist | Recognising patterns in nature | Charles Darwin, Jane Goodall | Biologist, farmer, conservationist |
| Existential | Capacity to tackle deep questions about existence | Rabindranath Tagore, Dalai Lama | Philosopher, spiritual leader |
Gardner explicitly states that educational systems overvalue linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence while neglecting others — a systemic injustice with real consequences for student potential.