Is a genius born... or made? In this second installment of our "The Genius Illusion" trilogy, the debate intensifies.

After questioning the very definition of genius, George and Alice tackle its origins. George argues that even a talent like Newton's or Beethoven's is a product of its time, needing the validation of institutions to enter the history books. Alice, on the other hand, defends the "Great Man" theory—the idea of the exceptional individual who shapes their time.

This episode takes you behind the scenes of the "hero factory" to reveal the social and historical forces behind the greatest names in history. Join the discussion and enrich your English vocabulary on history and sociology.

Sources:

Bourdieu, P. (1991). Language and symbolic power. Harvard University Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1993). The field of cultural production: Essays on art and literature. Columbia University Press.

Carlyle, T. (1841). On heroes, hero-worship, and the heroic in history. James Fraser.

DeNora, T. (1995). Beethoven and the construction of genius: Musical politics in Vienna, 1792–1803. University of California Press.

Spencer, H. (1896). The study of sociology. D. Appleton and Company.