Creativity without value

Modern liberal societies set great store by creativity; the value placed on it is unquestioned. It is hardly surprising then that almost all theorists regard value as essential to creativity. This chapter aims to challenge the claim that creativity is valuable because it is essential to creativity that it is disposed to produce objects of value. It examines the widely cited "original nonsense" argument for value in the definition of creativity (attributed to Kant) and finds it unsound. Discussions of the value of creativity often focus on creativity in particular domains, notably the arts and sciences. Arguably, calling an artist or scientist creative is a term of praise, which implies that the ideas that they produce through the exercise of creativity are especially good. Individuals who are creative often produce many ideas, of varying quality. Their creative dispositions sometimes lead them to devise objects that are valuable, at other times objects that are worthless.