Creativity as potentially valuable improbable constructions

We argue that creative ideas are potentially valuable improbable constructions. We arrive at this formulation of creativity after considering several problems that arise for the theories that suggest that creativity is novelty, originality, or usefulness. Our theory avoids these problems. But since...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal for philosophy of science 2021-03, Vol.11 (1), Article 27
Main Authors: Fedyk, Mark, Xu, Fei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognitive ability
Computer applications
Constructivism
Creativity
Creativity in Art
Education
Experimental research
Paper in the Philosophy of the Sciences of Mind and Brain
Philosophy
Philosophy of Science
Science & Mind
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We argue that creative ideas are potentially valuable improbable constructions. We arrive at this formulation of creativity after considering several problems that arise for the theories that suggest that creativity is novelty, originality, or usefulness. Our theory avoids these problems. But since we also derive our theory of creativity from the scientific commitments of a more general theory of cognitive development, a theory called rational constructivism , our theory is unique insofar as it explains creativity in both adults and children through reference to a set of computational mechanisms that have been posited on the basis of independently plausible experimental research.
ISSN:1879-4912
1879-4920
DOI:10.1007/s13194-020-00343-4