Human Intelligence is an Illusion

[The__Chameleon]

To refine what is generally meant when Atheists refer to intelligence as opposed to nature I could say that a calculator is deterministic and not intelligent as it can not choose to initiate calculations or what calculations it initiates. It can also not choose to provide a result other than that which it a been programmed to provide. A calculator cannot supersede it's inherent nature. It's inherent nature was provided by an intelligent being, but the calculator itself is limited to it and cannot act contrary to it. It is not intelligent in the sense of free-thinking, but is an example of intelligent design as it's creator could have designed it any way he or she chose. Would it be battery or solar powered? Would it be able to perform higher math functions? What color would the casing be? Were those decisions made independent of fixed predetermining factors? If so, then the source of those choices is intelligent, but if not then the source of those choices is "natural" (limited by it's inherent nature).

Another example is, if you have multiple instances of the same intelligent (free thinking) being in multiple identical universes with identical conditions then these beings will make a variety of choices as to how they will react. But if they are natural (deterministic) beings rather than free thinking then they will all make the same decision in reaction to their identical circumstances.

The general idea of nature is that x in conditions of y always result in z. If an animal is hungry it will eat. If it is more tired than hungry it will sleep first then eat, and so on. That which is not bound to it's nature is a free agent. If I am a free thinking being then if I am hungry, I may or may not choose to wait for the commercial break to go eat. x in conditions of y always result in whatever the hell I consciously choose it to result in.