The genius, a key figure for aesthetics during the eighteenth century, allowed us to think about the relationship of the subject with nature, the possibility of attributing innate conditions to man, the way in which genius took place in the field of sciences, the postulation of a new ideal model of humanity, among many other topics.

In this book an international group of researchers of modern philosophy analyzes the development of the concept of genius, reviews the main aspects of the representation of this figure by a particular philosopher or a current of thought. It also examines the meaning of the concept genius for authors of the English, French, Italian, German and Latin American traditions.

In addition to analyzing the meaning and importance it had for some enlightened philosophers considered classics, this work explores some lesser-visited interpretations, such as the emergence of the concept in Vico's work, references in texts from the American colonies, and some appraisals of genius by female intellectuals. Along with the deployment of canonized doctrines, the reader will find explanations referring to the use of the term in regions considered peripheral and voices less heard.