Attributive theories of Genius

Genius as ultimate high level of abilities  

1. Supremacist Theory of Genius
Supremacist (from lat. supremus – supreme) theory argues that the genius is characterized by a exceptional, extreme and ultimate high level of abilities. In this case, genius is explained by dominance, an extraordinary level of development of one of the qualities or mental personality traits: “exceptional intuition”, “powerful imagination”, “intellectual power”, “passionate sensibility” and “great passion”, “an unusually strong will”, “consummate skill and competence”(J.C. Gowan, J.M. Eisenstadt).
At the same time genius is characterized by the complex of such traits as pronounced ability of fantasy, imagination; exceptional involuntary observation, departure from the template, originality, subjectivity; extensive knowledge, observation, the gift of intuition, premonitions, guessing (B.A. Lezin).
Numerous definitions of genius, which stress the importance of one of the traits and qualities of genius, can be conventionally organized with the help of the “Initial Pentabazis” that reflects the structure of the spirit, creativity, consciousness and mental life.
So such universal pentabasis is a matrix consisting of two interconnected pairs of Prima Entities “Interaction-Whole” and “Possibility-Freedom”, which are combined and mutually-coordinated by the central and ultimate, supreme entity as the Absolute.


Table1. Initial Pentabazis of Prima Entities

Whole

Possibility

   Absolute

Interaction

Freedom

Authors of the paintings: Michael Parkes, Tomasz Setowski,
D.Holeman, R. Olbinski

 

Table 2. Pentabasis of Cognitive Processes
(primary sings of Genius) 

Whole
Thinking
Possibility
Imagination

Absolute
Attention
Perception

Interction
Memory
  Freedom
Intuition

 

1. Attention. The first sign of genius of the artist or the scientist is an extraordinary ability of attention and perception. “Genius is nothing but continued attention” (Claude A. Helvetius).  Genius is nothing but attention (Goethe).
2. Intuition. Genius is  an intuition (Ruben Dario).
3. Imagination. “The source of genius is imagination alone” (Eugene Delacroix), Geniuses are an imagination, imaginative creative force (J. Golosovker).
4. Thinking. Genius is an original, productive, problematic, visual and metaphorical thinking (M. Mihalko).
5. Memory. The genius is the experience and memory. Genius is rooted in the excellence and vitality of memories (A. Schopenhauer). Genius is a memory (I. Lapshin).
Composing of combination of the given separate signs is the transition, bridge to the structural-functional theories of genius.
“The mental powers … whose union (in a certain relation) constitutes genius, are a imagination and understanding” (Kant). Breadth of mind, power of imagination and activity of the soul – that is called a genius (D. Diderot).