The Nature of Genius

Today "genius" is all around us. Celebrities, athletes, child prodigies, even your local Apple employees, all are referred to as geniuses. But are they? And if not these individuals then who? In this course, Henry L. and Lucy G. Moses Professor of Music Emeritus and author of The Hidden Habits of Genius, Craig Wright, will begin by giving you his definition and prerequisites for true genius and challenge you to come up with your own.

From there we'll look at examples of geniuses both historical and modern to try to identify the threads that bind them together and understand what separates the true genius from the wannabe... We’ll explore where creativity, curiosity and passion originate and how geniuses are able to discover, cultivate and apply their prodigious stores of each so as to fashion world changing ideas and inventions.

Specific topics covered in the course include:

Genius and Gender

Genius and Money

Whether or not celebrities and athletes can be considered geniuses

Where and when genius happen

The morality of genius

Genius and inequality

And dozens more

While this course almost assuredly will not turn anyone into a genius, we hope it will serve to inspire you to cultivate your own creativity, explore your own curiosity, and pursue your own passion.