andrew@trlamct.OZ.AU (Andrew Jennings) (06/19/86)
Sure, many creative people are good at drawing analogies : but is that the source of their creativity ? I would argue that it is more their ability to hold two seemingly disparate situations in consideration simultaneously : if as part of this an analogy drops out then fine, but is an analogy creative ? In one sense it is almost deductive, I think. For me Koestler's view of the processrings more true. In this view all creative acts are the result of simultaneous consideration of seemingly completely disparate situations : producing something completely new as a result, but not by reasoning by analogy. Also here Minsky's view that we put creativity on too high a pedestal is relevant. Why do we ? Because we have a vested interest in this position ? Perhaps. Are we simply afraid of pursuing what creativity is ? So what IS creativity ?