Extraordinary creative activity

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 292
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:39 am
Thanked: 6 times
Followed by:1 members

Extraordinary creative activity

by pnk » Tue Mar 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Source:1000 RC

Extraordinary creative activity has been characterized as revolutionary, flying in the face of what is established and producing not what is acceptable but what will become accepted. According to this formulation, highly creative activity transcends the limits of an existing form and establishes a new principle of organization. However, the idea that extraordinary creativity transcends established limits is misleading when it is applied to the arts, even though it may be valid for the sciences. Differences between highly creative art and highly creative science arise in part from a difference in their goals. For the sciences, a new theory is the goal and end result of the creative act. Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways. Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the role of data, serving as the means for formulating or testing a new theory. The goal of highly creative art is very different: the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product of the creative act. Shakespeare's Hamlet is not a tract about the behavior of indecisive princes or the uses of political power; nor is Picasso's painting Guernica primarily a propositional statement about the Spanish Civil War or the evils of fascism. What highly creative artistic activity produces is not a new generalization that transcends established limits, but rather an aesthetic particular. Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly creative artist extend or exploit, in an innovative way, the limits of an existing form, rather than transcend that form.
This is not to deny that a highly creative artist sometimes establishes a new principle of organization in the history of an artistic field; the composer Monteverdi, who created music of the highest aesthetic value, comes to mind. More generally, however, whether or not a composition establishes a new principle in the history of music has little bearing on its aesthetic worth. Because they embody a new principle of organization, some musical works, such as the operas of the Florentine Camerata, are of signal historical importance, but few listeners or musicologists would include these among the great works of music. On the other hand, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is surely among the masterpieces of music even though its modest innovations are confined to extending existing means. It has been said of Beethoven that he toppled the rules and freed music from the stifling confines of convention. But a close study of his compositions reveals that Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was an incomparable strategist who exploited limits-the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited from predecessors such as Haydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach-in strikingly original ways.


1) The author regards the idea that all highly creative artistic activity transcends limits with
(A) deep skepticism
(B) strong indignation
(C) marked indifference
(D) moderate amusement
(E) sharp derision

2) The author implies that an innovative scientific contribution is one that
(A) is cited with high frequency in the publications of other scientists
(B) is accepted immediately by the scientific community
(C) does not relegate particulars to the role of data
(D) presents the discovery of a new scientific fact
(E) introduces a new valid generalization

3)Which of the following statements would most logically concluded the last paragraph of the passage?
(A) Unlike Beethoven, however, even the greatest of modern composers, such as Stravinsky, did not transcend existing musical forms.
(B) In similar fashion, existing musical forms were even further exploited by the next generation of great European composers.
(C) Thus, many of the great composers displayed the same combination of talents exhibited by Monteverdi.
(D) By contrast, the view that creativity in the arts exploits but does not transcend limits is supported in the field of literature.
(E) Actually, Beethoven's most original works were largely unappreciated at the time that they were first performed.

Request you to explain your answer

OA: A, E, B

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 537
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:15 am
Location: Nagpur , India
Thanked: 41 times
Followed by:1 members

by rockeyb » Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:09 am
1) The author regards the idea that all highly creative artistic activity transcends limits with
(A) deep skepticism
[However, the idea that extraordinary creativity transcends established limits is misleading when it is applied to the arts, even though it may be valid for the sciences.]
(B) strong indignation
(C) marked indifference
(D) moderate amusement
(E) sharp derision



2) The author implies that an innovative scientific contribution is one that
(A) is cited with high frequency in the publications of other scientists
(B) is accepted immediately by the scientific community
(C) does not relegate particulars to the role of data
(D) presents the discovery of a new scientific fact
(E) introduces a new valid generalization
[ Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways.]




3)Which of the following statements would most logically concluded the last paragraph of the passage?
(A) Unlike Beethoven, however, even the greatest of modern composers, such as Stravinsky, did not transcend existing musical forms.
(B) In similar fashion, existing musical forms were even further exploited by the next generation of great European composers.
[A bit tricky but you have to look in para above the last para to understand better .

Second last para :Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly creative artist extend or exploit, in an innovative way, the limits of an existing form, rather than transcend that form.

Last para : But a close study of his compositions reveals that Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was an incomparable strategist who exploited limits-the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited from predecessors such as Haydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach-in strikingly original ways. ]

(C) Thus, many of the great composers displayed the same combination of talents exhibited by Monteverdi.
(D) By contrast, the view that creativity in the arts exploits but does not transcend limits is supported in the field of literature.
(E) Actually, Beethoven’s most original works were largely unappreciated at the time that they were first performed.
"Know thyself" and "Nothing in excess"

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 292
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:39 am
Thanked: 6 times
Followed by:1 members

by pnk » Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:40 am
Thanks.

I have some doubts about 2 & 3. It will be great if you can clarify.

2) choice d - also talks about new proposition (proposal/fact) and scientific contribution. They serve the role of data (Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the role of data). How e is prefered over d. In fact in e, it talks about generalization...whereas I fail to understand which portion of passage indicates 'generalization'

3) I think I have not understood the question here...Which of the following statements would most logically concluded the last paragraph of the passage. My understanding is question ask for what can be concluded from the last paragraph of the passage. if that is so, we need to look for only last para!! Could you help. thanks

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 537
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:15 am
Location: Nagpur , India
Thanked: 41 times
Followed by:1 members

by rockeyb » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:19 am
pnk wrote:Thanks.

I have some doubts about 2 & 3. It will be great if you can clarify.

2) choice d - also talks about new proposition (proposal/fact) and scientific contribution. They serve the role of data (Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the role of data). How e is prefered over d. In fact in e, it talks about generalization...whereas I fail to understand which portion of passage indicates 'generalization'
[I agree with you that some times its difficult to understand answers when you dont find some reference in the passage .

This is a classic example of paraphrasing that means what ever is written in the passage the same thing is written in the answer choices but taking the synonyms . When you find such paraphrased answers choices 9 out of 10 times that itself is the correct answer.

If you look at the line "Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways." diverse phenomenon = (different things ) "related to one another in more coherent ways" = (can be related to more similar things ) if we try to write it in single word phenomenon can be GENERALIZED . The answer is always in the passage.
Difference between D and E , D only talks about discovery of new phenomenon where as E talks about new phenomenon and generalization . As explained above its a line taken from the passage but paraphrased . ]

3) I think I have not understood the question here...Which of the following statements would most logically concluded the last paragraph of the passage. My understanding is question ask for what can be concluded from the last paragraph of the passage. if that is so, we need to look for only last para!! Could you help. thanks
You need to first identify the question type here , this is a inference type question where the answer is implied meaning of the paragraph . Now what the question is asking you is to summarize the last paragraph .

NOTE : whenever you GMAT gives you line number or paragraph always start reading a couple of lines above the mentioned paragraph or line number. Reason simple you will understand what role is the line or the paragraph playing with respect to the passage.

You can also look at this question like a MUST BE TRUE question of CR . Where you have a short paragraph and 5 answer option related to the paragraph . Which of the following must be true with respect to the passage . Apply the same logic here .
"Know thyself" and "Nothing in excess"

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 292
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:39 am
Thanked: 6 times
Followed by:1 members

by pnk » Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:13 am
Thanks a lot. Your explanation helped.

User avatar
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2017 12:48 am
Followed by:1 members

DSFS

by herbalsejagat » Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:37 pm
How realistic is this version of author question?

1) The author regards the idea that all highly creative artistic activity transcends limits with
(A) deep skepticism
(B) strong indignation
(C) marked indifference
(D) moderate amusement
(E) sharp derision