The following is my translation of an article called: 'Das Genie' by Nagel. It first appeared in a German popular science magazine, Kosmos Handweiser für Naturfreunde 1910, Heft 4, Seiten 157-160. I'm not aware of any previous translation.
Trevor Dykes.

A word from the pulbishers
This article is taken from Nagel, Die Welt als Grundzüge einer neuzeitlichen Welt- und Lebensanschauung, Franck'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart. The same publisher produced Kosmos.

As our readers know, when it comes to matters of world philosophies, Kosmos remains neutral and restricts itself to offering its members a philosophical outline, as is necessary for the distribution and completeness of scientific knowledge. Nevertheless, should we have failed to stick strictly to that by reproducing a chapter from this new book, then this is because the selected chapter deals with psychological issues, scientific problems, in an interesting way, and that will stimulate some members to reconsiderations upon the theme.

The genius by Nagel
The presiding characteristic of genius is its irresistible power of that which it does, and the definite fixed direction in which it works, without allowing itself to be distracted due to whatever circumstances. What also marks out the artist, the genius, is the quick work of the brain, its greater reactive abilities and higher perceptions. From a large quantity of impressions and experiences are found at fast speed, unconsciously, the fitting material suitable for the objectives. Connections can be recognised and linked in work of the shortest time, whereas the less gifted could require time scales in excess of natural human lifetimes. The genius has a sharp sense for the typical, the important, it possesses the art of abstraction. It outdoes the ordinary person in terms of performance and economy, in that it is able to associate all relevant factors as if they were linked in a network, and quickly arrange them into some kind of plausible series. Sharp observation and clear organisation are consequences of these characteristics. It is known about Böcklin's talent that he was not only able to express what he had seen in colours, but he could also clearly translate it into words. He had the ability to vocalise the differences in the nerve structure in the leaves of the oleander and laurel. His animals of fable -an example of the creation of selected connections- are of convincing plausibility, as they came about through an appropriate and logical process of thought, abstraction and combination. The Lundwurm (Added note: something like a dragon) in the rock canyon near Schack bears a far reaching similarity with the later restorations of the skeleton of Brontosaurus excelsus.

Shakespeare is a classic example of a genius who understood how to collect a large number of typical experiences, and to connect and utilize them. His works present such an insight into the many sided areas of human experience, that it has been attempted many times to identify this primary profession -prior to acting- through that ability. His knowledge of English law led to the assumption that he had been a young clerk for a lawyer. While such knowledge is already present in his earliest works, it did not extend to knowing about foreign legal systems, and that also suggests a career directed education. When it comes to depicting conduct in English courts, then modern English legal experts have been unable to show a single mistake or fault of a legalistic nature, and this applies to all matters or marriage, inheritance or testaments that he dealt with. However, judging by his knowledge of book production, one must also conclude he had been an apprentice book printer; and his grasp of biblical expressions shows him as some kind of theologist.

His understanding of nature is anything but merely that a youth may have obtained through a period spent in the countryside, without further studying. Entire books have been written concerning his knowledge of the lives of insects, and his knowledge of the characteristics of mammals and birds appears boundless. His appreciation of medicine has roused attention. Psychiatrists are filled with wonder at the mental breakdowns depicted for Lear and Ophelia. With the words: "...is as the very centre of the earth, drawing all things to it", it seems as if he knows of Newton's subsequent discovery, and he is also in advance of many discoveries in anatomy and geology.

Shakespeare certainly did not have the time to quietly study scientific works. He learned with the speed of a genius, and his interests extended to everything that he came into contact with. The work of taking it all in was easy for him, because he was constantly 'present' with body and soul, and this was his highest gift.

The genius finds the rhythm, the interrelationships of the typical, in the complexity of happenstance, and it finds the regularity in that which, to less practised eyes, may appear without regularity.

A further characteristic of genius is the great quantity of useful, psychological habits which organise the particular and appropriate direction of behaviour towards thinking, feeling and wanting. A genius possesses more psychological agility and advantageous habits than any other individual could acquire during a human lifespan. All these characteristics are inherited from not just one or two forebears, but rather from a large number of ancestors, so that the particular advantageous qualities ferment into genius thanks to a lucky coincidence. The genius is a top prize which humanity occasionally draws from the lucky dip of worldly existence.

Due to its rapid excellence, genius easily recognises correctness whereas other people and human societies spend much time swinging here and there, and often reach the conclusion when it is too late. That provides the practical and social significance of genius in artistry as well as politics. Genius brings the unnoticed buds together when they are about to bloom, and unites them into a bouquet which, because of the way it is arranged, remains long fresh and blossoming. The uncertain experiments of the less gifted would have gone in all possible directions, but genius orders them and brings them into unison and harmony.

As already mentioned, the functions of a religious and political genius are similar. They have also been provided by nature with a particular direction, and they will not let themselves be diverted; and this empowers them to reach all advantages towards their objectives: also, they do not allow themselves to be frightened off through misunderstandings or failed attempts of their predecessors. Luther would have gone quietly to Worms no matter how many demons might have waited there, like tiles of the roofs; he would not have been deterred by the fact that Huss, despite assurances to the contrary, fell to the bonfire. He simply could do no other, and God helped him, or his work, which are the same thing to a genius. Even should he have died, then his work would not have been wasted.

Examples of political genius are Napoleon and Bismarck. Napoleon did not simply wait for the revolution to die down, rather he tamed and ended it himself through his own will. Seizing the opportunity, sensible and skilful selection of the possibilities, these characterised his whole life. And even when his decisions fell quickly, nothing was carried through clumsily, but rather everything received the stamp of his powerful personality. Wherever he and his armies passed through, they left permanent roads in their wake. Even when he fell, he showed rapid decisiveness -he delivered himself to the English. And he also found time and interest for literature and the theatre.

And Bismarck. He knew how to quickly bring all the platonic wishes of the various classes into harmony, he understood how to exploit material and idealistic advantages, and that which was wished, wanted and cherished for decades, if it had not been sensed for centuries, was brought into reality as he thought about nothing other than his work, connected every new experience to that objective and, as far as it lay within his power, every advantageous opportunity was directed towards that work. A keen perceptiveness, his intense interests, his command of realities were enough to make him an outstanding orator.

Clearly spotting trends hanging unclearly in the air, pulling together the individual rays and tendencies into a coherent picture, this is important for the activity of genius. Genius does what many want to do, many dreamed of the necessity of the deed, many felt it, but genius sees it with clarity, and expresses the deeds in speech, actions, words, tones or colours. The unsatisfying yearning is transformed into a satisfied peacefulness. Genius brings contentment.

As an illustration of the function of genius, a picture of over saturated solution could be employed. A given weight of water under normal conditions can only dissolve a certain amount of sodium sulphate, and the resultant solution is then 'saturated'; any additions of further sodium sulphate will start crystallisation. But, if one works with certain precautions, then one can dissolve a greater quantity of sodium sulphate than normal saturation would allow, and we then receive an 'over saturated' solution which -with care- can be stored for as long as wanted. However, should a speck from a sodium sulphate crystal find its way into the solution, then crystallisation will suddenly work on the whole mass. Genius is such a speck and the contemporaries are comparable with the over saturated solution.

The primary usefulness of genius for the contemporary and future world, is that genius provides a saving of time and an increase in pace of cultural development, and this is due to its speed of selection and decision. Events, which would otherwise have only arisen after lengthy struggles between the various parties and an almost pointless expenditure of much energy, are achieved with significantly more economy. We can also provide an illustration from chemistry for this process with the aid of an accelerator or catalyser. Under certain conditions sulphuric acid (SO2) combines with oxygen (O) to produce sulphuric acid hydrate (SO3). If we put a mixture of sulphuric acid and oxygen (or air) into a bottle or glass canister, so we will find a trace of sulphuric acid hydrate forms in the mix after a short while. However, this reaction occurs slowly and, left to itself, it would take many years until a significant percentage of the mixture had changed into anhydride. Even warming it causes no alteration for this process. But, should we let the mix pass over platinum in a powdered form, then all of it will quickly alter into anhydride without altering the platinum, as only a very small quantity of platinum is required regardless of however large the amount of the mixture mentioned above is. The platinum acts as catalyser, an accelerator. Genius fulfils a similar function. The tendencies are already in place, but they are too weak to bring themselves into prominence, and the progress is extremely slow; genius is an accelerator of the development. It spares us from the tiresome transitional stages, and leads us without delay to the objective.

The genius is the educator of humanity. As a good teacher stamps the pupil with many useful habits, habits of thinking, feeling and interacting, and increases and integrates the pupil's awareness of sequences, so genius provides connections between apparently distant and unrelated objects for its own world and that of the future. Greatness lies in its psychological habits and the ability to link ideas.

Scientific genius works in the same way. Its inventiveness is similar to feeling something that has been forgotten. It works with two or more sequences of ideas that intersect at an unknown point. As it is capable of grasping the true nature of the sequences, indeed, is able to apply its concentration on this nature and interprets all new won experiences about it into its work, it finds this point of intersection, supported by its great capacity for reaction and its exploitation of any convenient coincidences which may arise, and thus brings the two or more sequences of ideas into harmony.

Something is known about numerous examples of researchers from antiquity, and the way they went about their work. Archimedes, who found the solution of a geometrical problem with the help of lines drawn in sand, called out to an infiltrating enemy warrior: "Fellow, stand away from my line!" This work was more important than anything else at the time. He felt what he was after was within reach and that possibly, on another occasion, he would not be able to come to the same train of thought. This is also why he sprang out of the bath as he saw the water overflowing and cried "Eureka, I've got it." This tells us about the continual activity of genius towards a problem. Thought continues even in the bath, and the events in the bath tub can be connected up to the work. Genius holds its process of ideas as being so important, that the solution of the problem is simply termed "it", and so deep is the involvement, that it cannot comprehend that other people, busy with other things, could find the cry or expression to be meaningless. The same thing was repeated by JR Meyer, the founder of energetics. A month after telling a friend that water must grow warmer through vibrations if the law of conservation of energy be correct, he stormed in through the door of the study with the words: "it is so!"

Excellent psychological habits, long imaginative sequences and dexterity in recognising interrelationships are the underlying conditions required for genius. It is these which enable it to fit ideas with reality. Should an occurrence or appearance not conform to the idea process of thoughts, so genius is capable of quickly selecting emendations for the imagined model and to reshape an idea, so as to bring it into harmony with that appearance. It is this willingness to accept self-help from its attentiveness that enables genius to resolve contradictions. This is one of the differences between a genius and a Philistine, in that genius cannot abide contradictions and strives for harmony, while the other simply accepts the contradictions precisely because he instinctively fears it is beyond his capability to resolve them.

Galileo was a prime example of such a researcher, who did not attempt to force appearances somehow into line with his thoughts, but rather adapted those in accordance with the appearances. It was also a coincidence for him, the swinging of a candelabrum in the church, which caused him to pose or solve questions. Naturally, the exploitation of coincidence is dependant upon it being notices, and that requires, as already noted, constant attentiveness. Mach felt a remarkable sensation in the train as he was travelling round a curve and, as he investigated this further, he came to valuable results which explained the function of archways in the ear, and he discovered the sense of movement, direction or balance. But just as ever adaptation in nature is incomplete, so the same applies for the intellectual. Every problem solved means the erection of a new problem.

One very often hears the comment, that every period of time which requires a genius, produces one. This assertion is completely wrong and superficial. Certainly, there can be no doubt that genius is rooted within its own time, within its capabilities and experiences. But, as already remarked, it is far in advance of its time because of its capacity for reaction and, consequently, its abilities for "accumulated" inheritance are far greater than those of its contemporaries. The average individual of a particular age has certain abilities, for example in music. They can distinguish between particular tones and understand how to interpret rhythms and harmonies across a certain range. Genius, however, is so constructed that it produces finer differences and a broader rhythm than apt for the age, and appears strange to its contemporaries because it is in advance of them. And that makes genius an educator which pulls the world along behind it, so the present can slowly respond to its superior capabilities with at least a partial adaptation; more usually, it is the next generation which pays full honour -and that is really a significant 'partial adaptation', as it takes a genius to fully understand genius. The history of music provides an example of this with almost every great musician. We also have a classic example from poetry with Goethe, who is today just beginning to come alive.

And now to the point that genius is always there when one requires it. My opinion is that genius can always be useful; that we should only be too pleased if we had a genius for all areas. The truth is that we do not have, although the time is always urgently calling for them, so as to cut the waste of energies in the economy. In today's Germany, there has been no political genius since Bismarck, yet nobody doubts that one is required to concentrate and orchestrate all the various efforts, political, social and ethical, and to unite the opposing factions in a coordinated struggle against common difficulties. All parties are at a stage of experimenting from uncertainty. It would truly help if a genius came from somewhere. And has not Austria been hopefully awaiting a genius for sixty years? Genius is a rarity; if one comes to the fore, then it means a great acceleration in development. If Napoleon had not turned up, then perhaps the revolution would have carried on celebrating its insane orgies for decades. Indeed, one could say that the revolution only happened because of the lack of a genius, as the situation would not have got so out of hand had a genius been there when required.

Translator's thoughts
I've been stimulated to some reconsiderations of the theme, and I doubt I've ever read a better concise appreciation of the talents of Billy Shakespeare. I also happened to be re-reading a biography of Charles Darwin while doing this translation, and he provides a fine example of a genius picking the correct plants from the already blossoming, but confused, garden, and arranging them into a robust theory of convincing coherency. However, that was far from easy. It appears to me that the author, Nagel, somehow neglected to mention (and perhaps even to appreciate) that genius generally only flourishes with a heck of a lot of hard work besides determination.

As he was writing in 1910, the short supply of European political genius four years later is an intriguing angle from history. One of the causes of the war to end all wars was certainly crass stupidity.

Even darker (and with no intended implications concerning any subsequent views of the author, which are unknown to me), are the subsequent events of two and three decades later, when a long sought for Austrian genius carried on the work of bringing the concept of Greater Germany into being; das dritte Reich. At least, he considered himself to be a genius and many others agreed with him. Should he have happened to have read this article, then Herr Hitler would presumably have nodded in strong agreement, with few (if any) reservations. I suspect he would've paid particular attention to the role of a heck of a lot of hard work because, as the saying later went: Arbeit macht frei.

An index of more of my translations of old Kosmos articles can be found at:

Kosmos Translations Archive

http://www.geocities.com/trevor_dykes/kosmostranslations.htm

A number of Mesozoic (and post-Mesozoic) location summaries can be found at Localities.