This presentation values and introduces Richard David Precht's creative work and analyses his doings from the view point of the psychology of creativity. Especially the topics of nature nurture debate, the motivation for creativity, the creative process and the importance of intelligence are discussed. The presentation shows his takes on these topics aswell as a snapshot from the scientific debate around them and also provides a selection of suitable quotes of him. Richard David Precht is a German philosopher and public intellectual.

1. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
The creativity of
Richard David Precht
by Felix Zappe
as held in IOT 5024 –
Creativity: Psychological
perspectives
at the Edward de Bono Institute
on 23rd May 2017

2. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
DisclaimerAgenda
The creative output2
The person1
2
Within the nature / nurture debate3
The value of intelligence4
The creative process5
The motivation for creativity6

3. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
3
1. The person
I am not a philosopher but a public intellectual
• Born: 8th December 1964
• Alternative & unconventional-bourgeois family
• 4 siblings including two Vietnamese adoptees
• Studied German literature, philosophy and
history of art in Cologne
• Collects fish, dissected birds and books
• Has one son and three step sons from a former
marriage
• ’91 – ’95: Doctorate in German studies
• ‘97 – ’01: Various scholarships and fellowships
• ’01: Awarded scientific journalist
• ‘02 – ‘04: essayist and columnist
• ‘05 – ’08: freelance TV moderator
Source: wikipedia, 2017. welt, 2015.

4. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
4
2. The creative output
My best work is left mostly unnoticed
Dissertation Fiction Non-Fiction

5. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
5
3. Within the nature-nurture debate (1/2)
Creative jobs are the future yet schools are not prepared for it
• A strong believer in the nurture side
• Created a new school system for the less well off:
• Project based and e-learning
• Gamification and very close tutoring
• Substantial knowledge without boundaries
• No exams and grades but individual assessment
• Engaging teachers and excellent experts in joint classes
Source: Welt, 2013.

6. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
6
3. Within the nature-nurture debate (2/2)
Children need freedom, cause creativity evolves from boredom
Source: ARD, 2011; Tilo Jung, 2017; morgenpost, 2013.
Parental interaction
Authoritative parents
Freedom
Being moderately close emotionally
Emphasizing moral values
Respecting children as individuals
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• Parents made mistakes but non of
them where severe, as there were
always four siblings as a regulative
• Different but happy childhood,
antiauthoritarian but with burgeoise
elements
• If you dare to have different
opinions, then you should be able to
defend them
• Own style of parenting but one
objective was functioning in society
Low birth weight
Chronic illness
Severe malnutrition
Family size
Birth order
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7. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
7
4. The value of intelligence
Intelligence is, what‘s used, if one does not know what to do
• Most of the times one does not need
intelligence, the brain avoids non-automatic
situations as they are highly inefficient
• The brain’s main function is to stay in an
equilibrium of complexity and output
• Intelligence tests are highly insignificant for
an individual’s everyday performance, as it
only displays a very small skillset
Source: Wissen57, 2011; Quantum Healing, 2017.
• Precht implicitly differs between four types
of brain functions:
reproductive capabilities, fictional
capacities, Instrumental reason and social
intelligence
• Our times are mostly dominated by
instrumental reason which is in dialectic
relation to fictional capacities

8. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
8
4. The value of intelligence
Intelligence is, what‘s used, if one does not know what to do
Source: Wissen57, 2011; Quantum Healing, 2017.
Instrumental
reason
reproductive capabilities
social intelligence
fictional
capacities

9. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
9
5. The creative process
Creativity needs shortage and hunger
• Companies struggle balancing instrumental
reason and converting fictional capacities
• Resulting in unreasonable organizational
structures and impatience
• Precht has been patient with himself ever
since he started his writing career and
gave himself time to deliver his work even
in times of economic struggle
• He did not experience a creative block or
as he switches between many subjects and
has almost infinite inspiration growing out
of his many talks
Source: Tilo Jung, 2017; Quantum Healing, 2017; Badische Zeitung, 2016.

10. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
10
6. The motivation for creativity
Creativity is, when you don’t know about the outcome
• the digital revolution will lead to a
stronger shift to the quarternary sector
followed by mass unemployment
• Main focus for education and society by
then is a shift from extrinsic to
intrinsically motivated citizens, i.e. giving
them possibilities and ideas for their
everyday live
Source: Mediathek Politik, 2017; SRF Kultur, 2014.
• Precht wants to gather the contemporary
discussion around his persona
• He wants to make uncomfortable
arguments and influence the world to
become a better place
• He uses his reach and ability to make
recipients reflect on themselves

11. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
Thanks for your
attention!
Efficiency is
the mantra
of business,
but it kills
creativity.
Source: Quantum Healing, 2017.

12. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
12
Sources
Pictures
Slide 1
http://www.badische-zeitung.de/literatur-und-vortraege/kreativitaet-braucht-
mangel-und-hunger--129311476.html
Slide 3
http://www.ksta.de/richard-david-precht-die-moralkeule-schwingt-ins-leere-
12841256; http://www.mittelbayerische.de/kultur/populaer-mit-tipps-zum-leben-
21852-art1158361.html
Slide 4
https://www.amazon.de/Richard-David-
Precht/e/B001K6NSW0/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Slide 5
http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/buecher/rezensionen/sachbuch/richard-
david-precht-anna-die-schule-und-der-liebe-gott-oh-ihr-rennpferde-fresst-einfach-
mehr-phrasenhafer-12165641.html
Slide 7
https://www.slideshare.net/eloieli/heuristics-bias-and-critical-thinking-in-testing-
distribution
Slide 8
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/guenther-jauch-zum-thema-sitzenbleiben-
talkshow-als-schule-des-lebens-1.1664681#redirectedFromLandingpage;
http://www.bild.de/unterhaltung/tv/richard-david-precht/war-schon-mal-als-
nobody-bei-jauch-51847686.bild.html#fromWall
Slide 9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternary_sector_of_the_economy;
http://www.stimme.de/teleschau/tv-tipp/tv/tv-dienst/TV-2013-09-08-ZDF-00-05-
00-Precht-Politik-ohne-Plan-Wer-denkt-an-die-Zukunft;art4335,2866554
All icons used are taken from noun project under creative commons licensing
Content
Slide 3
https://www.welt.de/print/welt_kompakt/koeln/article135037830/Philosophie-als-
Erfolgsmodell.html; https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_David_Precht
Slide 5
https://www.welt.de/kultur/article115537095/Warum-sollen-nicht-alle-gute-
Schulen-besuchen.html
Slide 6
ARD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAP4e0O5tAk;
Tilo Jung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFUhaaR2MSs;
https://www.morgenpost.de/berlin/article115993242/Sind-Sie-ein-guter-Vater-
Herr-Precht.html
Slide 7
http://www.wissen57.de/richard-david-precht-denkt-uber-die-intelligenz-
nach.html; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7m2U3spdXw
Slide 8
Quantum Healing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7m2U3spdXw;
Tilo Jung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFUhaaR2MSs;
http://www.badische-zeitung.de/literatur-und-vortraege/kreativitaet-braucht-
mangel-und-hunger--129311476.html
Slide 9
SRF Kultur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gewb3-DUlJs;
Slide 10
https://www.managerseminare.de/blog/richard-david-precht-neugier-als-
voraussetzung-fuers-lernen-kultivieren/2013/10;
Mediathek Politik:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5pIovnAW6A&index=10&list=WL

13. 05.08.2017
IOT 5024 – Creativity: Psychological perspectives – the creativity of Richard David Precht
Edward de Bono Institute | University of Malta
Disclaimer
13
Acknowledgements
Deepth and extent of this analysis are limited by the time and scope
requirements of the lecture and exam it served for as a part for.
Of course it could have been of far mre depth if more time was assigned, a
larger collection of sources would have been consulted and/or a more
extensive length of this presentation or the complementary paper had
been required.
All words presented in blue or text blocks marked in blue are actual
quotes or synopses of Precht‘s thoughts if not, they are analyses made by
the author.
None of the analyses or statements are meant disrespectfully in any way,
rather they try to accurately link some of the psychological findings to
Precht‘s personal story.