Mcmahon on the enlightenment with tony grafton, jacob soll, joyce applebee, david bell, joel mokyr and margaret jacob at the 2012 american historical association conference in a session honoring the work of professor jacob. A history of genius considers genius both in terms of general intelligence and inspiration, with more of an emphasis on inspiration. In academia, humanities scholars have become extremely reluctant to utter the word, not. Oct 20, 20 this piece was adapted and excerpted from divine fury. The first comprehensive history of this elusive concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing how despite its many permutations and recent democratization genius remains a potent force in our lives, reflecting modern needs, hopes, and fears. A history of genius, published this month by basic books. Mcmahon is a professor of history at dartmouth college and the author of divine fury. As renowned intellectual historian darrin mcmahon explains in divine fury, the concept of genius can be traced back to antiquity, when men of. Along the way, mcmahon points us towards fascinating individuals who helped bring the idea of genius to life. This study surveys the debate about human genius as it has played out within what is recognized as the western tradition.
Crucial to the change in meaning of the term was the waning of mimetic aesthetics, the idea that art was imitation rather than creation. Mcmahons erudite and engaging history of genius, is that he does not presume to fix a single definition of genius and then trace. As renowned intellectual historian darrin mcmahon explains in divine fury, the. This piece was adapted and excerpted from divine fury. In divine fury, the author traces conceptions of geniusin the form of both person and ideafrom ancient times, through enlightenment and romantic thinking, and on to our own.
Mcmahon is a professor of history at florida state university and the author, most recently, of divine fury. By kicking the habit of genius, we might better be able to cultivate what is just as important and in the long run more essential to human civilization. A history of genius takes readers from ancient greece and rome, where the history of the word genius begins, to the present. In greek thought, inspiration meant that the poet or artist would go into ecstasy or furor poeticus, the. Nov 23, 2014 the wunderkind was not only a wonder to behold darrin mcmahon points out in divine fury. This interesting history of genius looks at the development of the concept over the centuries from ancient times to the present, advancing the argument that t. Despite the presence of scholars in many subjects throughout history, many geniuses have shown high achievements in only a single kind of activity. Mcmahon traces the history of genius from the ancient world to the present day. The greeks believed that inspiration or enthusiasm came from the muses, as well as the gods apollo and dionysus.
Oct 22, 20 the first comprehensive history of this elusive concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing howdespite its many permutations and recent democratizationgenius remains a potent force in our lives, reflecting modern needs, hopes, and fears. Divine fury by darrin mcmahon basic books by dominick, february 19, 2014 mcmahons divine fury. Jan 05, 2014 one of the satisfactions of divine fury, darrin m. The first comprehensive history of this elusive concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing howdespite its many permutations and recent democratizationgenius remains a potent force in. Dec 19, 20 the first comprehensive history of the elusive concept, divine fury follows historys greatest thinkers through the ages down to the present day, showing how despite its many permutations genius remains a potent force in our lives, reflecting modern needs, hopes and fears. A genius is a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability, creative productivity, universality in genres or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of new advances in a domain of knowledge. The wunderkind was not only a wonder to behold darrin mcmahon points out in divine fury.
The first comprehensive history of the elusive concept, divine fury follows historys greatest thinkers through the ages down to the present day, showing how despite its many permutations genius remains a potent force in our lives, reflecting modern needs, hopes and fears. But historys true masterminds the michelangelos, da vincis, shakespeares, and einsteins still inspire awe and a hint of mystery, a sense that these men have had almost otherworldly power to divine the secrets of the universe, to create. The modern idea of genius emerged in tension with a growing belief in human equality. The modern idea of genius emerged in tension with a growing belief in human. The first comprehensive history of this elusive concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing how despite its many permutations and recent democratization genius remains a potent force in. With divine fury, history professor delves into two.
Mcmahon tells the history of genius with verve, wit and insight, and his book is a pleasure to read. It seems einstein was such a genius that he destroyed the entire concept of genius for us. Divine fury ends with the suggestion that we may have reached a terminal point in the history of genius. The first comprehensive history of this elusive concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing how,despite its many. The notion of what constitutes genius and what doesnt is a focal point of culture. Oct 09, 2014 darrin mcmahons divine fury does not shy away from the preposterous and the ridiculous, or from the disturbing and dangerous. Read more history, culture, french revolution, benjamin franklin, john adams. Along with other men of genius, mozart clearly possessed some particular, extraordinary quality. Divine fury makes innumerable fascinating connections and. An engaging survey of the history of genius in european culturemcmahon tells the history of genius with verve, wit and insight, and his book is a pleasure to read. Human rights in history as darrin mcmahon shows, the genius is the god among menproviding one of the last connections to the transcendent that our common secular culture retains, and setting up a struggle between our desire for exceptional beings and our leveling egalitarianism. A history of genius public library a fascinating, firstofitskind chronicle of the evolution of genius as a.
Divine fury makes innumerable fascinating connections and weaves many threads into a coherent narrative spanning 2,500 years. Rather than start in the 18th century, when the modern idea of genius emergedas an exceptional quality located not in god but in manor with the 19thcentury romantic poets exaltation of genius as a kind of divine fury, mcmahon history, florida state univ happiness. A history of genius public library a fascinating, firstofitskind chronicle of the evolution of genius as a cultural concept, its permutations across millennia of creative history, and its more recent role as a social equalizer and a doubleedged sword of. Mcmahons erudite and engaging history of genius, is that he does not presume to fix a single. A brief history of genius the creative pace of the 20th centurys greatest authors, visualized the best infographics of the year. Samuel moyn, columbia university, author of the last utopia.
It is the first comprehensive history of the elusive concept of genius, and follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing how despite its many permutations and recent democratization genius remains a potent force in. Rather than start in the 18th century, when the modern idea of genius emergedas an exceptional quality located not in god but in manor with the 19thcentury romantic poets exaltation of genius as a kind of divine fury, mcmahon. A history of genius public library a fascinating, firstofitskind chronicle of the evolution of genius as a cultural concept, its permutations across millennia of creative history, and its more recent role as a social equalizer and a doubleedged sword of democratization. What it was, however, his contemporaries could not say. Modernist and modern concepts edit sigmund freud and other later psychologists located inspiration in the inner psyche of the artist. A history of genius, to explore what genius has meant, and what it still might mean today, by ranging across its. A history of genius, basic books, was published in late 20. History professors divine fury explores perceptions of genius. The first comprehensive history of this elusive concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing howdespite its many. With hints of madness and mystery, moral license and visionary. A history of genius belongs to the genre the history of. In many ways, this book is a throwback to an older tradition of intellectual history, one in which the questi.
The wikipedia article on artistic inspiration also mentions the concept of divine fury. Many of us now use the term genius as a simple expression of wonder, referring to a person or an achievement that we find inexplicably brilliant. The concept of genius is a bit cheapened today, invoked too easily in assessments of football coaches, rock musicians, and savvy market traders. The concept has origins in both hellenism and hebraism.
In divine fury, the author traces conceptions of genius in the form of both person and ideafrom ancient times, through enlightenment and romantic thinking, and on to our own. Inspiration was evidence of genius, and genius was a thing that the poet could take pride in, even though he could not claim to have created it himself. A history begins with the ancients, contrasting the roman notion of. Jan 01, 20 in divine fury, the author traces conceptions of geniusin the form of both person and ideafrom ancient times, through enlightenment and romantic thinking, and on to our own. The first comprehensive history of the elusive concept, divine fury follows history s greatest thinkers through the ages down to the present day, showing how despite its many permutations genius remains a potent force in our lives, reflecting modern needs, hopes and fears.
A history of genius, to explore what genius has meant, and what it still might mean today, by ranging across its understanding from the ancients. In the genius cult of the nazis and the outpouring of reverence for the redemptive figure of einstein, genius achieved both its apotheosis and its armageddon. Nov 25, 20 darrin mcmahon draws on his new book, divine fury. Inspiration from the latin inspirare, meaning to breathe into is an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or other artistic endeavour. The french counterenlightenment and the making of modernity dealt with opposition within france to the enlightenment legacy in the 18th. A history of genius by ottmann, klaus the historian. Mcmahon if we wish to appreciate the role that genius has played in the modern world, we must remember that genius is ultimately the product of the hopes and longings of ordinary people. The first comprehensive history of this elusive concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius and geniuses through the ages down to the present day, showing howdespite its many permutations and recent democratizationgenius remains a potent force in our lives, reflecting modern needs, hopes, and fears.
The first comprehensive history of this mysterious yet foundational concept, divine fury follows the fortunes of genius from socrates to napoleon to einstein and beyond, analyzing its democratization, disappearance, and potential rebirth. This interesting history of genius looks at the development of the concept over the centuries from ancient times to the present, advancing the argument that the modern construction of the notion of genius is rooted in the enlightenment and the romantic era. As renowned intellectual historian darrin mcmahon explains in divine fury, the concept of genius can be traced back to antiquity, when men of great insight were thought to be advised by demons. Trained as a historian of france, his first book enemies of the enlightenment. But historys true masterminds the michelangelos, da vincis, shakespeares, and einsteins still inspire awe and a hint of mystery, a sense that these men have had almost otherworldly power to divine the secrets of the. Apr 15, 2014 the concept of genius is a bit cheapened today, invoked too easily in assessments of football coaches, rock musicians, and savvy market traders.
Nate silver on the 3 keys to great information design and the line between editing and censorship. A brief history of genius if we wish to appreciate the role that genius has played in the modern world, we must remember that genius is ultimately the product of the hopes and longings of ordinary people. History professors divine fury explores perceptions of. Mcmahon born 1965 is a historian, author, public speaker, and currently a professor of history at dartmouth college. A history of genius 20 presents an informative and readable survey of the subject of genius. Tue, april 15, 2014 the concept of genius is a bit cheapened today, invoked too easily in assessments of football coaches, rock musicians, and savvy market traders. This interesting history of genius looks at the development of the concept over the centuries from ancient times to the present, advancing the.
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