Preliminary communication
Creativity – Vice or Virtue?: A Study of Different Visions of Creativity
Pero Mrnarević
; Điva Natali 4, HR-20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia
Abstract
This essay is about ‘creativity’ and the way it is perceived in modern western
society. Most people tend to see creativity in a rather simple fashion as something
positive, and in view of its benefits for the individual, for culture and for
society, it is generally agreed that creativity should be given a more prominent
role. However, in a modern, globalized society this ‘angelic’ view can present
a misleading picture of the phenomenon. So what is its role and how should it
be reconceptualized? The author takes two diferent ideological visions of creativity,
a progressive, humane and democratic view in contrast to a market-led
economic one. Paradoxically as it may be, these two opposing visions share
much of the same rhetoric and the author attempts to strip away some of the
confusing layers that mask these positions. Mrnarević shows that the value of
creativity is shifting from a traditional humanistic and cultural model to serve
the new economic doctrine. It is believed that this shift is unwise since it ignores
other aspects of creativity, which are of vital importance for society if
it is constructively to deal with pressing issues that challenge it, such as reducing
economic inequalities and other effects of a competition-based culture.
Keywords
the politics of creativity; progressive vs. economic vision of creativity; economic inequalities
Hrčak ID:
77798
URI
Publication date:
14.2.2012.
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