Imperative of Genius

Human beings produce many things, and the most remarkable of these we call works of genius. The symphonies of Beethoven, the of paintings of Cézanne, and the novels of Virginia Woolf are distinguished by their originality and their power. They are novel but not mere novelties. They are original in a way that seems profoundly meaningful, in a way capable of transforming the world. This ideal of genius appears most at home in art and science, but The Imperative of Genius suggests that its reach is much greater. The problems that Beethoven, Cézanne, and Woolf face as artists--the problems whose solving makes them geniuses--are versions of a problem faced by every human being: the problem of acting in a way that is at once truly our own and intelligible to others. These demands naturally pull us in opposite directions--toward vain eccentricity and bland conformity. Genius is a capacity for synthesizing these demands, and this makes it a practical ideal. We see this ideal in lives marked by the same exemplary originality that we associate with great works of art: in the lives of Jesus, Diogenes the Cynic, Alain Locke, Jane Addams, Simone Weil, and many others. This fact has consequences not only for our individual lives, but for how we live together. We owe each other a form of respect that extends to our shared capacity for genius. The fullest realization of that respect can be found in activities where creativity becomes collaborative. To create and sustain such activities is a moral task.

Kenneth Walden is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Dartmouth College.