The Philosophy of Creativity: New Essays

by Scott Barry Kaufman (Editor), Elliot Samuel Paul (Editor)

New
Paperback
2017
$38.57

Creativity pervades human life. It is the mark of individuality, the vehicle of self-expression, and the engine of progress in every human endeavor. It also raises a wealth of neglected and yet evocative philosophical questions: What is the role of consciousness in the creative process? How does the audience for a work for art influence its creation? How can creativity emerge through childhood pretending? Do great works of literature give us insight into human nature? Can a computer program really be creative? How do we define creativity in the first place? Is it a virtue? What is the difference between creativity in science and art? Can creativity be taught? The new essays that comprise The Philosophy of Creativity take up these and other key questions and, in doing so, illustrate the value of interdisciplinary exchange. Written by leading philosophers and psychologists involved in studying creativity, the essays integrate philosophical insights with empirical research.

Synopsis

Creativity pervades human life. It is the mark of individuality, the vehicle of self-expression, and the engine of progress in every human endeavor. It also raises a wealth of neglected and yet evocative philosophical questions: What is the role of consciousness in the creative process? How does the audience for a work for art influence its creation? How can creativity emerge through childhood pretending? Do great works of literature give us insight into human nature? Can a computer program really be creative? How do we define creativity in the first place? Is it a virtue? What is the difference between creativity in science and art? Can creativity be taught? The new essays that comprise The Philosophy of Creativity take up these and other key questions and, in doing so, illustrate the value of interdisciplinary exchange. Written by leading philosophers and psychologists involved in studying creativity, the essays integrate philosophical insights with empirical research.

$38.57

Quantity

10 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 338
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 01 Jun 2017
ISBN 10: 0190683759
ISBN 13: 9780190683757

Media Reviews

The essays in this anthology explore many of [creativity's] aspects, presenting familiar philosophical issues in less familiar contexts, which is an encouragement to take a fresh look at those issues and perhaps rethink our opinions. Creativity is looked at in relation to literature, music, audience response, character, imagination, the unconscious, and artificial intelligence ... the compilers of the anthology are to be congratulated on its range and variety. * Les Reid, Philosophy Now *
The editors have done a very good job. It is a good place to start. The anthology is a useful resource to get both familiar with creativity, e.g. for students and researcher, but also to be inspired to raise new questions about this multifaceted concept. Many authors thank the editors, so do I. * Metapsychology Online Reviews *

Author Bio

Elliot Samuel Paul is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Barnard College, Columbia University, and is co-founder of The Creativity Post (creativitypost.com), a non-profit web platform that features quality content on creativity, innovation and imagination. Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is scientific director of the Imagination Institute and investigates the measurement and development of imagination, creativity and well-being in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He has written or edited seven books, including Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (with Carolyn Gregoire) and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined. He is also co-founder of The Creativity Post, host of The Psychology Podcast, and he writes the blog Beautiful Minds for Scientific American. Kaufman lives in Philadelphia.