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Creativity is fundamental to human experience. In On Creativity David Bohm, the world-renowned scientist, investigates the phenomenon from all sides: not only the creativity of invention and of imagination but also that of perception and of discovery. This is a remarkable and life-affirming book by one of the most far-sighted thinkers of modern times.
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Creativity is, in my view, something that it is impossible to define in words. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Creativity is, in my view, something that it is impossible to define in words. Read the first page
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book really is a classic. For those interested in a discussion relating philosophy, science (particulary modern physics) and art, this is indispensible.
Bohm's vision, put simply, is that reality is entirely unified. The dominant picture of reality, drawn from Democritus,is that of a void filled by atoms. This view of reality suggests that it is by nature fragmented, composed of building blocks, each with its own independent essence that is fixed. This is the source of a great deal of confusion, Bohm tells us, and today's physics suggests the case may be otherwise. He compares modern uses of language to the origins of words, as used by ancient greeks, and shows that a fragmentary view has developed, it is not a 'given'. It is fruitful in specific cases, but as an overarching view of reality, it is the source of much predjudice and conflict, e.g. in seeing racial categories as natural, rather than as discursive abstractions, this can lead to racial predjudices and conflict.
Bohm compares science to art in particular (although also other things) and explains that landmark transformations in scientific revolutions and artistic movements are both produced by creativity - that is, being able to ask different questions to the normal ones posed within the present paradigms of thought and practice. Creativity is characterised by seeing 'different simularities' and 'simular differences'.
This book will be extremely useful to anyone interested in the wider philosophical significance of relativity and quantum theory. I would also recommend it to anyone thinking of tackling Bohm's monumental 'Wholeness and the Implicate order'. 'On Creativity' serves as a great outline to many ideas in that book, but is free of the technical jargon.
In conclusion, I found Bohm's philosophy highly appealing, and well thought through to the point of being compelling. His view of reality, a view he terms 'artamovement', is far more thought provoking and satisfying than the dominant atomistic worldview that reigns in the natural sciences. This is not to say that atoms don't exist at all, but that they are useful abstractions, part of a greater whole. Nothing has solitary independence of its place in the grand cosmos. A final word on Bohm's intelligent take on science itself, which is largely following Thomas Kuhn's paradigm model. Bohm sees scientific insight as part of an unbroken whole, a process of re-thinking and re-adressing natural phenomena, rather than fixing knowledge of stable, static objective essences of things. The book ends with a fascinating interview of Bohm by a friend of his, artist Lourwein Wyers.
Read this Book!
Bohm's vision, put simply, is that reality is entirely unified. The dominant picture of reality, drawn from Democritus,is that of a void filled by atoms. This view of reality suggests that it is by nature fragmented, composed of building blocks, each with its own independent essence that is fixed. This is the source of a great deal of confusion, Bohm tells us, and today's physics suggests the case may be otherwise. He compares modern uses of language to the origins of words, as used by ancient greeks, and shows that a fragmentary view has developed, it is not a 'given'. It is fruitful in specific cases, but as an overarching view of reality, it is the source of much predjudice and conflict, e.g. in seeing racial categories as natural, rather than as discursive abstractions, this can lead to racial predjudices and conflict.
Bohm compares science to art in particular (although also other things) and explains that landmark transformations in scientific revolutions and artistic movements are both produced by creativity - that is, being able to ask different questions to the normal ones posed within the present paradigms of thought and practice. Creativity is characterised by seeing 'different simularities' and 'simular differences'.
This book will be extremely useful to anyone interested in the wider philosophical significance of relativity and quantum theory. I would also recommend it to anyone thinking of tackling Bohm's monumental 'Wholeness and the Implicate order'. 'On Creativity' serves as a great outline to many ideas in that book, but is free of the technical jargon.
In conclusion, I found Bohm's philosophy highly appealing, and well thought through to the point of being compelling. His view of reality, a view he terms 'artamovement', is far more thought provoking and satisfying than the dominant atomistic worldview that reigns in the natural sciences. This is not to say that atoms don't exist at all, but that they are useful abstractions, part of a greater whole. Nothing has solitary independence of its place in the grand cosmos. A final word on Bohm's intelligent take on science itself, which is largely following Thomas Kuhn's paradigm model. Bohm sees scientific insight as part of an unbroken whole, a process of re-thinking and re-adressing natural phenomena, rather than fixing knowledge of stable, static objective essences of things. The book ends with a fascinating interview of Bohm by a friend of his, artist Lourwein Wyers.
Read this Book!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Once again David Bohm, one of the most original of thinkers, has demonstrated his ability to make original and fascinating discoveries in regard to, let us say, life in general. This is a combination of physics, biology, philosophy etc etc or as it used to be called natural philosophy. Bohm was one of this century's last remaining natural philospohers in a time of specialisation, in some ways akin to Robert Rosen, Darcy Thomson or Einstein all of whom were willing to expand their frontiers beyond their areas of specialisation. What singles Bohm out is his deep investigation of all aspects of thought especially the study of thought itself, its origin and dissolution and is human life possible without it, in other words is thought all there is or does being human mean a great deal more and other ?
In this short text Bohm looks at creativity, what it is, what it means in human life, how it works and various other aspects. Bohm, like in his other works, shys away from any form of solid definition, this is done on purpose, rather than because of a lack of understanding, Bohm insists that any form of thought, concept, idea which becomes crystalised as the "whole truth and nothing but the truth" interferes with the natural flow of reality which is ever changing and never static, this includes ideas as well which are insights about this flow (expanded on earlier in eg "Wholeness and the Implicate Order"). In this book he considers something he calls artamovement or "the art of fitting in the flow", here the word fit is in fact the meaning of art, in fact all forms of human endeavour are a form of art. This fitting in is the way people find out whether something is true or right in a context.
This, as usual, is highly original and especially true to itself, Bohm always writes what is true to itself and himself, he never, right until his dying day, failed to expound the truth whether he liked it or not. He epitomises the true seaker of knowledge which today is often smothered by individual desires, political expediency, domination from others or downright egotism. He was a remarkable man.
In this short text Bohm looks at creativity, what it is, what it means in human life, how it works and various other aspects. Bohm, like in his other works, shys away from any form of solid definition, this is done on purpose, rather than because of a lack of understanding, Bohm insists that any form of thought, concept, idea which becomes crystalised as the "whole truth and nothing but the truth" interferes with the natural flow of reality which is ever changing and never static, this includes ideas as well which are insights about this flow (expanded on earlier in eg "Wholeness and the Implicate Order"). In this book he considers something he calls artamovement or "the art of fitting in the flow", here the word fit is in fact the meaning of art, in fact all forms of human endeavour are a form of art. This fitting in is the way people find out whether something is true or right in a context.
This, as usual, is highly original and especially true to itself, Bohm always writes what is true to itself and himself, he never, right until his dying day, failed to expound the truth whether he liked it or not. He epitomises the true seaker of knowledge which today is often smothered by individual desires, political expediency, domination from others or downright egotism. He was a remarkable man.
Format:Paperback
I was hoping that, since this book was written by a prominent scientist, it would avoid straying too far into the kinds of groundless speculation and assertion that often characterize contemporary discussions around creativity. Unfortunately however, I found this book to be full of all kinds of unsubstantiated nonsense and presumptuous generalisations with very little, if any, foundation in research or empirical evidence. If you are looking to gain some clear insights into the nature of creativity as opposed to a litany of philosophical ramblings then I wouldn't recommend reading this book. To quote Bohm: "it is up to each person to make the first step for himself, without following another, or setting up another as his authority for the definition of what creativity is and for advice on how it is to be obtained." Quite.
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