Philosophical views on giftedness

Abstract

The aim of this research is to review philosophical views on giftedness. For this purpose, a comprehensive literature review was conducted. When the literature is analyzed, it is seen that the views on giftedness date back to 2200 BCE (Fox, 1981). Analyzing the views on giftedness, which has an important place in science history, is important in terms of providing a philosophical basis for theoretical and practical developments in the gifted education area. Based on this importance, the views of eight philosophers who lived between 428 BC and 2002 (range = 2430 years) were analyzed. As a result of these views, five different approaches to giftedness were found. These are (a) supportive views on gifted education, (b) views associating intelligence and negative personality traits, (c) artist/genius approach, (d) views suggesting the role of effort in the development of intelligence, and (e) views on nonprivileged intelligence. The first of the approaches belongs mainly to Plato. Plato argued that gifted people (philosophers) are made of gold and that they should take place in the legislative class after undergoing a comprehensive education and acquiring the necessary qualifications. Plato defined these people as individuals who love to learn, comprehend fast, have a strong memory, and are at a high level of consciousness who can handle the greatest sciences of creation (Kılıç, 2016). The educational approach he suggests for these individuals consists of a comprehensive process ranging from music to gymnastics, from mathematics to dialectics. According to Plato, there is a cyclical relationship between education and having a gifted nature. He states that both complement and develop each other. This view can be associated with the issue of identification and program harmony, which is frequently emphasized in gifted education literature. Aristotle, on the other hand, adopted an approach in which he drew attention to the relationship between neurotic personality and giftedness. Aristotle argues that the neurotic personality can be a sign of genius. Neuroticism was accepted as an element that would support intellectual development in Aristotle's approach. In this same vein, some similar views in the gifted education literature (e.g., Massé & Gagné, 2002; Neihart, 1999; 2002; Plucker & Stocking, 2001). Additionally, Aristotle addressed that slow maturation is more acceptable than early maturation (Silverman, 2013). But this is now seen as a myth in gifted literature (early rip early rot, see Silverman, 2013). Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) also accepted Aristotle's neurotic personality-genius approach. According to Ficino, people with a neurotic personality focus on one thought and thus understand even the highest subjects (Yüzgüller & Altun, 2016).Another approach is the artist-genius approach emphasized by Immanuel Kant and Arthur Schopenhauer. In this approach, the gifted individual is considered as an artist. Kant defined giftedness as the talent that rules and gives its essence to art through nature (Keskin, 2019). According to Kant, giftedness is inherited, where it comes from cannot be known and cannot be taught. Kant argues that the most important feature of giftedness is originality. That's why he doesn't classify scientists as geniuses. Because he adopted the view that what is discovered in science can be discovered by everyone. Kant argues that the artist's work is only made by the artist and it is cannot be taught. Schopenhauer, who has adopted the same approach, defines intelligence as losing oneself while looking at an object, forgetting individuality, and reaching the knowledge of the pure idea (thought) (Eren, 2018). Genius manifests itself as "talent" in art. Although Schopenhauer accepts that genius is a natural state, he sees it as an anomaly because it is abnormal. According to him, just as Aristotle said, genius and madness are intertwined (Yavuz, 2017). This debate is frequently brought up in the gifted education literature. Nietzsche denies that giftedness is inherited. Nietzsche (1878/2005) states that people who are considered to be gifted have reached the position of being gifted by spending a long time, by working hard, and by a little luck (a good education, method, model, etc.). As in this argument, change has a place in many gifted education theories. According to Nietzsche, people's acceptance of high intelligence that they do not hope to have and do not strive for. Thus, by attributing extraordinariness to successful people, he absolves himself of responsibility for his lack of effort. According to JS Mill, who is also retrospectively identified as gifted (see Cox, 1926), appropriate environmental conditions must be provided for gifted individuals to develop their potential. He states that these individuals need more space than other people to develop, and if this space is provided, both their own and the society's welfare will be ensured. On the contrary, John Rawls argued that being a gifted individual does not give the right to have different privileges and higher earnings than other people (Warburton, 2020). The philosopher says that giftedness is effortlessly inherited and therefore it is meaningless to reward those individuals. Those arguments are also has a place in gifted education literature as elitism debates. In summary, in this research, it has emerged that there are five different philosophical views for high intelligence and gifted individuals such as providing supportive education to develop their potential, being associated with negative personality traits or artistic identity, acquired with effort, and not being a privileged situation. It is known that the views listed here also take place in the field of gifted education. However, due to the cumulative nature of science, it can be suggested that researchers base their current views on philosophical grounds. Thus, it may be possible to establish more acceptable theories and approaches. This research is one of the first studies on this subject. A more comprehensive review of the views of different philosophers can be suggested in future research. Thus, it may be possible to form the philosophical foundations of gifted education and to use these foundations in solving the problems encountered in practice.

Full text

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS ON GIFTEDNESS
İrem Köksal*a, Mehmet Bıçakçıb*
aHacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, irem.koksal@hacettepe.edu.tr 0000-0003-1630-3869
bHacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, mehmetbicakci@hacettepe.edu.tr 0000-0001-6865-
9328
*Corresponding author
Abstract
The aim of this research is to review philosophical views on giftedness. For this
purpose, a comprehensive literature review was conducted. When the literature is analyzed,
it is seen that the views on giftedness date back to 2200 BCE (Fox, 1981). Analyzing the views
on giftedness, which has an important place in science history, is important in terms of
providing a philosophical basis for theoretical and practical developments in the gifted
education area. Based on this importance, the views of eight philosophers who lived between
428 BC and 2002 (range = 2430 years) were analyzed. As a result of these views, five different
approaches to giftedness were found. These are (a) supportive views on gifted education, (b)
views associating intelligence and negative personality traits, (c) artist/genius approach, (d)
views suggesting the role of effort in the development of intelligence, and (e) views on non-
privileged intelligence.
The first of the approaches belongs mainly to Plato. Plato argued that gifted people
(philosophers) are made of gold and that they should take place in the legislative class after
undergoing a comprehensive education and acquiring the necessary qualifications. Plato
defined these people as individuals who love to learn, comprehend fast, have a strong
memory, and are at a high level of consciousness who can handle the greatest sciences of
creation (Kılıç, 2016). The educational approach he suggests for these individuals consists of a
comprehensive process ranging from music to gymnastics, from mathematics to dialectics.
According to Plato, there is a cyclical relationship between education and having a gifted
nature. He states that both complement and develop each other. This view can be associated
with the issue of identification and program harmony, which is frequently emphasized in
gifted education literature.
Aristotle, on the other hand, adopted an approach in which he drew attention to the
relationship between neurotic personality and giftedness. Aristotle argues that the neurotic
personality can be a sign of genius. Neuroticism was accepted as an element that would
support intellectual development in Aristotle's approach. In this same vein, some similar
views in the gifted education literature (e.g., Massé & Gagné, 2002; Neihart, 1999; 2002; Plucker
& Stocking, 2001). Additionally, Aristotle addressed that slow maturation is more acceptable
than early maturation (Silverman, 2013). But this is now seen as a myth in gifted literature
(early rip early rot, see Silverman, 2013). Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499)
also accepted Aristotle's neurotic personality-genius approach. According to Ficino, people
with a neurotic personality focus on one thought and thus understand even the highest
subjects (Yüzgüller & Altun, 2016).

Another approach is the artist-genius approach emphasized by Immanuel Kant and
Arthur Schopenhauer. In this approach, the gifted individual is considered as an artist. Kant
defined giftedness as the talent that rules and gives its essence to art through nature (Keskin,
2019). According to Kant, giftedness is inherited, where it comes from cannot be known and
cannot be taught. Kant argues that the most important feature of giftedness is originality.
That's why he doesn't classify scientists as geniuses. Because he adopted the view that what is
discovered in science can be discovered by everyone. Kant argues that the artist's work is only
made by the artist and it is cannot be taught. Schopenhauer, who has adopted the same
approach, defines intelligence as losing oneself while looking at an object, forgetting
individuality, and reaching the knowledge of the pure idea (thought) (Eren, 2018). Genius
manifests itself as "talent" in art. Although Schopenhauer accepts that genius is a natural state,
he sees it as an anomaly because it is abnormal. According to him, just as Aristotle said, genius
and madness are intertwined (Yavuz, 2017). This debate is frequently brought up in the gifted
education literature.
Nietzsche denies that giftedness is inherited. Nietzsche (1878/2005) states that people
who are considered to be gifted have reached the position of being gifted by spending a long
time, by working hard, and by a little luck (a good education, method, model, etc.). As in this
argument, change has a place in many gifted education theories. According to Nietzsche,
people's acceptance of high intelligence that they do not hope to have and do not strive for.
Thus, by attributing extraordinariness to successful people, he absolves himself of
responsibility for his lack of effort.
According to JS Mill, who is also retrospectively identified as gifted (see Cox, 1926),
appropriate environmental conditions must be provided for gifted individuals to develop
their potential. He states that these individuals need more space than other people to develop,
and if this space is provided, both their own and the society's welfare will be ensured. On the
contrary, John Rawls argued that being a gifted individual does not give the right to have
different privileges and higher earnings than other people (Warburton, 2020). The philosopher
says that giftedness is effortlessly inherited and therefore it is meaningless to reward those
individuals. Those arguments are also has a place in gifted education literature as elitism
debates.
In summary, in this research, it has emerged that there are five different philosophical
views for high intelligence and gifted individuals such as providing supportive education to
develop their potential, being associated with negative personality traits or artistic identity,
acquired with effort, and not being a privileged situation. It is known that the views listed here
also take place in the field of gifted education. However, due to the cumulative nature of
science, it can be suggested that researchers base their current views on philosophical grounds.
Thus, it may be possible to establish more acceptable theories and approaches. This research
is one of the first studies on this subject. A more comprehensive review of the views of different
philosophers can be suggested in future research. Thus, it may be possible to form the
philosophical foundations of gifted education and to use these foundations in solving the
problems encountered in practice.
Keywords: genius, philosophy, theories of intelligence, gifted education,

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