The Nature of Genius

A question worth asking

The course starts from an everyday puzzle: the word genius gets applied to celebrities, athletes, child prodigies and even tech employees. Instructor Craig Wright, an emeritus music professor and author of The Hidden Habits of Genius, sets out to pin down what the word should really mean.

How the course works

Rather than offering a single answer, the course asks you to build your own definition, then tests it against historical and modern examples of people widely considered geniuses. The approach is comparative, which makes it as much a study of judgement as of talent.

Who might enjoy it

• Readers curious about creativity and psychology.
• Art history students looking at how genius is framed.

Expect a discussion of ethics and conduct alongside the examples, not just a list of famous names.