Genius and its Others

Journal article

This article proposes a way of opening up the concept of genius to renewed understanding by analysing it in relation to the 'others' that are represented by melancholy, imposture and the reader. Discussions where genius is defined oppositionally are contrasted with those where such others are integral to the account of the phenomenon. The argument is based on a reading of three of the founding texts of the literature on genius, Aristotle's Problemata XXX, 1, Plato's Ion and Kant's Critique of Judgement.

Authors: Jefferson, A

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: PARAGRAPH
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 182-196
• Publication date: 2009-07-01
• DOI: 10.3366/E0264833409000522
• EISSN: 1750-0176
• ISSN: 0264-8334
• Language: English
• Keywords: Kant; imposture; reader; genius; ingenium; Plato; Aristotle; melancholy