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Group Creativity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2022

Berys Gaut
Berys Gaut*
Affiliation:
University of St Andrews
*
bng@st-andrews.ac.uk
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Abstract

Group creativity is vital in overcoming the numerous challenges that the world faces. Yet group creativity is deeply puzzling. It seems plausible that only agents can be creative, so group creativity requires group agency. But how could groups possess the mental states required to be agents, let alone the rich range of them required to be creative? It appears more reasonable to hold that group creativity is not a real phenomenon, but is merely the summed creativity of the individuals forming the group. There is also much empirical evidence that groups are no more creative than their members. In this paper I examine the conceptual and empirical challenges to group creativity, defend its existence, and offer an explanation of how it is possible.

Type
Paper
Information
Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplements , Volume 92: Values and Virtues for a Challenging World , October 2022 , pp. 5 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy and the contributors 2022

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