Third Kind of Humanity

Author: Zhang Feihong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The understanding of talent and genius has long been a subject of intense debate and severe opposition, often described as a misty and labyrinthine maze in the realm of philosophy. What is genius? A baby with a loud cry is not called a genius, but the world's three male opera superstars are called genius singers. A child with strong movements is not considered a genius, but the world's weightlifting champion can be called a genius athlete. From this, it is evident that the genius usually referred to by people is not someone born with innate talent, but rather those who achieve outstanding success in social life. In real life, the roles of individuals indeed differ. Some, with their inventions, harness the power of matter to produce forces that millions cannot achieve; some, with their creations, accomplish things that millions cannot do; some can mobilize and organize the wisdom and strength of millions; and some can earn the trust and reverence of millions. As a result, people regard them as "intelligent," "exceptionally sharp," or even "naturally gifted" as "superior intellects." In this trend, there are inevitably flattery and sycophancy for certain purposes. Thus, some arrogant individuals become overconfident, claiming to be geniuses, acting arrogantly, seizing power and profits; while others, naive and innocent, worship before the "genius," losing confidence in themselves and abandoning their path forward. On the other hand, some hold the opposite view: "People's talents are not innate but acquired through social practice." They firmly and resolutely adopt a stance of opposing the theory of genius. However, in this opposition, they acknowledge that "genius is just a bit smarter" (from Small Dictionary of Philosophy – Part of Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism, People's Publishing House, Shanghai, May 1975, p. 78). In reality, intelligence is a form of innate talent. They can assign a beautiful-voiced girl to work as a construction laborer; they can send a biology expert to sweep a courtyard. But they cannot train a person shorter than a pygmy to compete for a high jump world championship; nor can they make a colorblind person become a driver. So, how should the issue of genius be understood?
Human nature is a process. It develops along with the development of human (overall and individual) natural essence; it develops along with the development of human (innate and acquired) rational abilities; it develops along with the development of human (inherited and breaking through) social rationality. These three aspects of human nature are unified and coexist simultaneously, achieving breakthroughs through mutual inclusion, generating new content in the latter half of each development, thereby driving the comprehensive progress of individual human nature. We should neither separate these three aspects nor deny their gradual inclusion, nor should we confuse them or erase their distinctions.
First, human talent has an innate component. This is because the genetic material of humans is roughly similar but not absolutely identical. Therefore, some people have innate traits in one area, while others have them in another. These traits, under certain conditions, become strengths and advantages, which is a form of innate talent (desire-based talent). Although the relationship between genes and human talent, the forms and processes by which genes influence talent, and the exact extent of their impact on talent are not yet fully understood by humans, it is certain that genes are related to human innate talent and abilities.