Monday, July 3, 2017
Excerpt, relating Shakespeare's method and milieux to Collins' work re the sociology of philosophy:
"In The Sociology of Philosophies, I used the micro-sociological method to analyze philosophers and mathematicians: both where creativity happens, and the kinds of things that get created. Two key ingredients are networks and internalized techniques."
"Being creative is having the techniques to make something that becomes famous. Where do the techniques come from? In part, they come from the network-- one’s immediate predecessors, collaborators and rivals. In part-- because to become creative on your own is to make new techniques. This is done by combining techniques from the past, or reversing some into their opposite, thus creating new effects. Close acquaintance with the network of previous creators is important because you need to internalize their techniques, until you can roll with them, generating a flow of emotional energy. This internal process is what outsiders can’t see and what impresses them as overpowering genius. And it is why the most creative persons come out of a network of other creative persons..."
"...Creativity by reversal and recombination is a main process of innovation in the history of philosophy and mathematics. Invention by negating one element and recombining the rest is a technique for discovery. That means that discovery and creativity is not mysterious. Once you see how to do it, you can keep on doing it by applying it to further materials...." RC
Can one not characterize what is commonly understood as creativity, genius, if you will, as containing a goodly portion of what I would call sustained, or even, in an important sense, systematic, improvisation?
This post dedicated to Randy Fertel.
Can one not characterize what is commonly understood as creativity, genius, if you will, as containing a goodly portion of what I would call sustained, or even, in an important sense, systematic, improvisation?
This post dedicated to Randy Fertel.
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