A “genius” is someone with extraordinarily high creativity. Today, we cannot say there are no geniuses, but they are exceedingly rare. For example, the greatest living philosophers today might be Habermas, Žižek, and Agamben—but compared with Kant, Fichte, and Hegel, who lived in roughly the same historical period, the difference is like night and day. If we compiled a list of the greatest living writers today, it would also disappoint when compared to eras overflowing with genius. This is true for almost every human field—except perhaps the business world.
We are living in an age of mediocrity. Although mediocrity may have occupied much of human history (think of early medieval Europe), today we must take special note: humanity, as a species, has amassed the greatest wealth of artistic and intellectual achievements in history, and yet our age has produced only a handful of geniuses.
Many have asked “why,” and many answers have been given. The most important reason, it seems, is that today’s educational and research systems are fundamentally designed for the majority—not for the rare genius. A look at the life stories of many geniuses shows a recurring theme: they often struggled in school and grew through a process of resisting the educational system.
In recent years, some educators and psychologists around the world have noticed this problem. Reforms have been proposed at every level, from kindergarten to the PhD, though only a few have been implemented to any meaningful degree. These reforms may have had some minor effect, but the overall results are underwhelming. Worse still, education systems in general seem to be moving in the opposite direction. In the United States, for example — Let us be frank — DEI offices, various campus activism trends, and the culture of political correctness all run counter to the spirit of respecting exceptional talent. These trends suggest that current education mechanisms are incapable of creating an atmosphere that truly honors genius.
So, how do we escape the age of mediocrity? Should we wait for the hand of fate—or even divine favor—or should we take matters into our own hands? Since resisting mediocrity and cultivating genius depends on preserving and enhancing creativity, what can we do?
By now, we must entertain the possibility that formal education and scientific institutions have already reached the limits of what they can offer—and this is highly likely. If so, then we have no choice but to seek another path.
I believe we urgently need to establish a completely different set of institutions for education, art, and science.
Existing education and research institutions are essentially plebeian in nature, not genius-oriented. This makes them, in effect, the primary culprits in stifling genius. A mechanism designed for the majority simply cannot also fulfill the mission of nurturing geniuses. Even many elite institutions, with their tiered systems offering more resources and freedom to select students, have failed to produce geniuses—they produce only capable professionals. Genius requires an entirely different environment.
The main mission of this new institution would be to identify geniuses and support their free learning to the fullest extent possible. I call it the “Academy of Genius.”
Ideally, applicants to the Academy of Genius would mostly be young people, though all ages could apply. Most would have already completed basic formal education; those who have not must finish it first (basic education here means all schooling up to and including junior high). The Academy itself would not provide any formal courses akin to high school or university.
Why no courses? Because for geniuses, all knowledge beyond basic education can be self-taught—there is no need to sit in a classroom. In fact, most talented individuals can also self-learn high school and university-level material. If they feel they need formal instruction, they can take online courses or attend classes at partner schools or universities. Therefore, such an Academy should ideally be located near rich traditional educational resources, especially close to at least one good university.
Once admitted, applicants become Genius Candidates. They spend most of their time freely exploring their interests. The Academy’s role is to provide support, occasional guidance, a fully open environment for intellectual exchange, to organize social events, invite guest speakers, and so on.
However, the Academy should minimize its own interference—stepping in only when candidates request support or guidance. Some guidance, however, would be mandatory—such as legal literacy and, in certain cases, psychological counseling, particularly for candidates with antisocial traits, to avoid cultivating “evil geniuses.”
The Academy should deliberately foster a healthy sense of elite consciousness while firmly resisting the influence of political correctness. Political correctness is unquestionably harmful to creativity.
There would be no fixed length of study. Cases would vary greatly, but generally would not exceed fifteen years. When a Genius Candidate achieves a major breakthrough in a domain of human intellectual life, they can graduate. Such breakthroughs might take the form of scholarly papers, a major book, music albums, visual art works, long novels, a promising startup, and so on.
The Academy would not award traditional degrees. Successful graduates would receive a certificate. Some candidates might fail to meet the standard or choose to conclude their time without a breakthrough—these individuals could be referred back into the formal education system or recommended to employers.
Whether candidates pay tuition—and how much—would depend on local conditions. In the U.S., tuition could be comparable to or lower than that of undergraduate colleges. In many German states, it would be free. The Academy would also seek government funding—which it should rightfully receive—but more importantly, it would need donations from corporations and wealthy individuals, building an endowment to sustain operations.
The Academy of Genius must attract worldwide attention, raising public awareness of its existence. Once it exists and operates successfully, a cultural shift toward respecting individual genius will naturally take root. People will gradually recognize that formal education suits the general public, not geniuses—and that genius growth does not require formal schooling. Society will come to accept that geniuses are fundamentally a different kind of human group. The future of humanity’s most advanced intellectual frontiers may depend on them.
Of course, the Academy will not compete with existing education institutions for resources; it is not meant to replace them, but to run alongside them.
Founding such an Academy may be the only way for humanity to escape the age of mediocrity. I myself am not a genius in any sense, but I am willing to dedicate my life to the cause of cultivating genius. I am willing to be one of the founders of such an institution.
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