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and digital technologies. This is by no means ignoring or replacing the teacher. The goal is to create conditions in which students can effectively apply existing technologies to form their own knowledge.
QR codes are just a mini — milestone in technology, and after a while they will be no less ridiculous than floppy disks. But while this small pattern in the corner of the printout or site can save time and paper, save you from reprinting long links, or at least diversify your routine, it is relevant.
Referencies:
1. Samokhina N. V. Use of mobile technologies in teaching English: development of traditions and search for new methodological models // Fundamental research. - 2014. - № 6-3. - pp. 591-595;
URL : http://www.fundamental-research. ru/ru/ar-ticle/view?id=34208 (accessed: 14.12.2018).-
2. Yakovlev A. I.: Information and communication technologies in education. ... [Electronic resource]. - Access mode http://cor.edu.27.ru/
3. Electronic technologies in the education system... [Electronic resource]. - Access mode. http://som.fio.ru/getblob.asp?id= 10007856# Tos26155139
4. The use of new information technologies in the teaching of English in secondary school ...[Electronic resource]. - Access mode http://por-tal.krsnet.ru/razdels/uchitelia/rmo/
UDC 811.111'37'42
Strochenko L. V.
Assistant Professor, PhD, Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University,
Ukraine
DOI: 10.24412/2520-2480-2020-3486-23-24 THE ENGLISH CONCEPT A WORK OF GENIUS AS A CONSTITUENT OF THE CONCEPTUAL
FIELD GENIUS
Abstract.
The article is dedicated to the study of the English concept A WORK OF GENIUS as a constituent of the conceptual field GENIUS. The work outlines the main trends in philosophical studies of this phenomenon (irrational, rational, empirical, socio-cultural); offers the algorithm of the linguistic study of the conceptual field GENIUS. GENIUS is a conceptual field divided into three segments, each of which is denoted by a corresponding sub-concept: GENIUS as a phenomenon; GENIUS as a person; A WORK OF GENIUS as a result of a genius' activity. These segments have a nuclear-peripheral structure, the analysis of which is carried out on the language and speech material, which represents both naive and scientific versions of the picture of the world. These segments are connected within the conceptual field by a cyclic connection. Cyclization ofthe conceptualfield GENIUS occurs when a person (2) endowed with the phenomenon of genius (1) creates a certain product (3) (depending on the field of his activity), which is recognized as genius. Only under such conditions the person (creator of this product) will be nominated a genius.
Keywords: conceptual field, concept, genius, phenomenon, picture of the world.
Language is one of the main tools of cognition and conceptualization of the world. To examine a concept through the language is one of the most reliable ways of linguistic analysis which allows to detect its conceptual features and to work out the model of the concept. The structure of a concept is manifested through dictionary definitions of the corresponding lexical units (the name of the concept and its synonyms) and through speech contexts. The study of the verbalized concept involves: (a) defining the linguistic means that objectify it, (b) the fullest possible description of the semantics of these units and (c) modeling the meaning of the concept as a holistic mental unit marked with its national originality. The main methods employed in our conceptual analysis were: (1) componential analysis, (2) etymological analysis, (3) identification of synonyms of the lexeme which names the corresponding concept and (4) the study of ways of conceptualization as secondary reinterpretation, for example in idioms and aphorisms.
Among numerous researches dedicated to the investigation of the philosophical aspects of the given phenomenon, Khomchenkova's thesis [1] stands out,
offering a detailed and reasonable classification of main trends in genius study.
The first one is irrational approach, which emphasizes the divine nature of genius and is closely related to archaic and religious ideas. The irrational view of the nature of genius correlates with the etymology of the word genius and can be traced in the dynamics of interpretation of this concept in language, culture and history. In Roman mythology, genius was a spirit, a deity, a guardian angel, who belonged to and was worshiped by every mail person throughout his life while Juno was a similar deity for a female. The views on creativity in medieval philosophy reflect the religious aura of the era, dictated by the ideology of the church. In the Middle Ages genius was most often identified with mental abnormalities and attributed to the intrigues of the dark forces. Therefore, geniuses were considered mentally ill, possessed by the devil, bewitched. If in the Middle Ages meticulous attention is focused mainly on religious and moral aspects, artistic and scientific creativity being of the secondary importance, the Renaissance is focused exactly on human creativity. In that era, the cult of genius as a creative individual arises. However,
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despite considerable progress in science, technology, and art, the nature of the genius's creativity continues being viewed irrationally. Genius is regarded as a free personality who seeks to occupy the position of god [1].
By the XIXth century, when the phenomenon of genius became the subject of study in various sciences (especially in psychology and genetics), a less radical idea of a genius, namely as the most remarkable creative human ability appeared. Thus, the rational approach was offered, within it genius was seen as the innate quality of a person, which stance enabled clarifying genius as a property of the human mind and made a start to study it in different directions of psychological and genetic research. This approach determined further investigations of biological (instincts, memory, genetic heredity and innate abilities in creativity) and psychological (fantasy, imagination, inspiration, and spontaneity) factors of genius [1].
The next successive trend in the study of genius is empirical approach, according to which genius is the acquired property of a person in the process of his/her development. According to Simonton [2], empirical research on genius as eminent achievement goes back almost two centuries. The first studies established the normal "bell-shaped" curve in the statistical treatment of human behavior. Later this concept of the normal distribution was applied to the so-called "natural ability", so that those at the upper tail of this distribution would inevitably attain distinction as either creators or leaders. Researches also argued that natural ability was in fact natural in the sense that it was strongly inherited and thus passed down through family pedigrees. Subsequent research showed that environmental factors, such as family background and education, play a major role in the emergence of genius. Basing on the above mentioned facts, Simonton concludes, that genius is both born and made [2].
Rational and empirical trends mutually resulted in the new approach to the psychological study of the genius phenomenon. Definitions of genius in terms of intelligence quotient (IQ) are based on research originating in the early 1900s. In 1916 the American psychologist Lewis M. Terman set the IQ for "potential genius" at 140 and above, a level exhibited by about 1 in every 250 people. Leta Hollingworth, an American psychologist who studied the nature and nurture of genius, suggested an IQ of 180 as the threshold - a level that, at least theoretically, is exhibited by only about one in every two million people (Genius-c). The researches based on this definition of genius, namely, genius as a bearer of superlative IQ, are comparatively rare. According to Simonton, that does not mean that investigators rarely use intelligence tests. On the contrary, those measures are among the most frequently used and best standardized instruments in psychology. The problem, rather, is that few inquiries even attempt to capture a single participant who scores at the genius level of, say, IQ 140. Consequently, investigators while adopting this definition have to use a special methodology to obtain a reasonable sample size for empirical research [2].
The fourth approach to the study of genius is socio-cultural, which analyzes both significant and problematic interaction of a genius and society. On the one hand, genius is an innate quality, on the other - certain conditions for its formation and implementation are
needed. Noteworthily, these factors are not exhaustive. The existence of genius is impossible without its recognition by the society. That makes genius predominantly a social phenomenon. The following main functions of genius phenomenon in the social context can be singled out, they being: educational, reformist, rebellious and prophetic [1].
The concept under study does not have a single corresponding lexicographical entry to define it. However, the word combination "a work of genius" can be found in the thesaurus which offers synonyms and antonyms to it. Among them are
• achievement.
• brainchild.
• chef-d'oeuvre.
• concept.
• handiwork.
• magnum opus.
• opus.
• masterpiece [3].
Moreover, there are several illustrations of the usage of this word combination in speech, for example:
But that rodeo scene was a work of genius, teetering on the brink of outright anarchy [4].
Eero Saarinen, the most distinguished of the competition judges, called the design "a work of genius"
[4].
These examples show that the distinctive feature of the corresponding concept is the highest evaluation and recognition of the product of someone's activity.
Our observations of the empirical material led us to the following hypothesis. GENIUS is a conceptual field divided into three segments, each of which is denoted by a corresponding sub-concept:
1) GENIUS as a phenomenon;
2) GENIUS as a person;
3) A WORK OF GENIUS as a result of a genius' activity.
These segments have a nuclear-peripheral structure, the analysis of which is carried out on the language and speech material, which represents both naive and scientific versions of the picture of the world. These segments are connected within the conceptual field by a cyclic connection. Cyclization of the conceptual field GENIUS occurs when a person (2) endowed with the phenomenon of genius (1) creates a certain product (3) (depending on the field of his activity), which is recognized as genius. Only under such conditions the person (creator of this product) will be nominated a genius.
References
1. Khomchenkova, E.A. (2007). Fenomenolohyya henyal'nosty: ot antropnoy k sotsyokul'turnoy de-termynatsyy. [Phenomenology of genius: from anthropological to socio-cultural determination]. Candidate's thesis, Omsk. [In Russian]
2. Simonton, D.K. (2020). Genius. The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible. London: Palgrave Mac-millan, Cham, 1-6.
3. A Work of Genius. URL:
https://www.thesau-
rus.com/browse/work%20of%20genius
4. Genius. URL: http://www.thefreediction-ary.com/genius
