Frankenstein Meets the Invisible Man

The subject of creativity and invention have long captured the imagination of poets and writers, and even scientists themselves. An ‘Index of Scientific Writings on Creativity’ in 1974 listed 9,968 articles and books from disciplines as diverse as medicine, psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, sociology, history, education and genetics. Today the internet holds listings for many times this number and adds the newer discipline areas of science and technology studies, economics, business and management. Social changes in industrialised societies have brought new perspectives to the study of creativity, shifting from a focus on the aesthetic, the philosophical and the psychological, to an analysis of the significance of creativity in social and economic development. Despite the intense interest in the subject, theoretical development has been slow. This paper examines recent theoretical journeys into the social shaping of genius and creativity.