The Invention of Creativity: The Emergence of a Discourse
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level 5 by design analogy; theoretical and historical essay with no empirical data.
OpenAlex W1980285992 · doi:10.5130/csr.v16i2.1694
What was done
This conceptual and historical essay investigated the cultural construction of "creativity" within the history of ideas. The author analyzed how discursive forces across politics, science, commerce, and the nation-state shaped the concept, tracing its emergence as a modern English noun starting in 1875 rather than evaluating it as an innate psychological trait.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative measurements or statistics. It establishes that creativity is a historically contingent construct rather than a naturalized or innate human instinct, having emerged from specific historical moments and cultural discourses.
Why it matters
It challenges naturalized models in creative practice research by framing creativity as a product of modern historical and economic discourse rather than a universal, timeless human faculty.
Limits
This is a qualitative historical and theoretical essay containing no empirical human data, quantitative metrics, or systematic review methodology.
Cited by
- supports Prior to the late 18th-century Romantic period, creativity and originality were not considered synonymous.