Abstract
Over the course of the 19th century, the concept of intelligence took on an increasingly important role in European anthropological and philosophical thought, establishing itself against competitors such as the mind and understanding. It contributes to the biologization and naturalization of historical thought (Comte). Through the theory of evolution, the term establishes a dialectic between the individual and the collective (Spencer, Galton, Ribot). It took on a political dimension (Maurras, Benda). At the same time, the problem of intelligence was depersonalized and formalized (Taine, Binet, Valéry), paving the way for theories of artificial intelligence.
