Genius

CR101 Radio - Podcast Network · Mar 11, 2026 · 20m

This position paper argues that the modern idea of “genius” is a revived pagan concept rooted in animism and hero-worship, in which certain individuals are treated as semi-divine figures standing above law, morality, and ordinary humanity. Tracing the idea from ancient Rome through the Renaissance and Enlightenment to modern revolutionary movements, the paper shows how the “genius” shifted from a protecting spirit to the artist, intellectual, or political leader who claims superior insight and authority over society. This myth justified the rise of heroic leaders and totalitarian figures…