In his short story 'The Genius' from the book 'Forty Stories', Donald Barthelme takes a cynical look at the concept of genius. In his work, he depicts a "gifted" genius with his own share of weaknesses and vulnerabilities, including drunkenness. During the course of the satyrical account, someone puts forth the proposition that a roster of world geniuses be kept, to be drawn upon during times of world crises, to help to resolve some of the major problems that are plaguing humanity, such as starvation, disease and war.
What have geniuses ever done to improve the quality of our personal lives? Please note the situation in Iran, North Korea, Japan, the United States and the Middle East in general. Who was the genius who invented the atomic bomb? Who invented radiation? Please think of the effects of the Chernobyl disaster.
Barthelme quotes French author and poet, Paul Valéry:
"Every man of genius contains within himself a false man of genius."
2006-07-16
06:56:57
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Philosophy