THE MAD GENIUS CONTROVERSY - IMPLICATIONS FOR GIFTED EDUCATION

Eminent individuals are those who have made a great and lasting contri bution to their society. The idea that ''genius is akin to madness'' h as dominated in conceptions of eminence throughout the ages. However, contemporary views of the relationship between eminence and emotional stability based on studies of distinguished individuals assume that me ntal instability is incompatible with the prolonged and goal-directed effort required in achievement of great social value. The divergence o f perspective has arisen from differences in the professional biases o f the medical and nonmedical professions, the difficulty of distinguis hing between normal and abnormal behaviors, and the diversity of effec ts on individual functioning that may accrue from mental illness. The issue of emotional stability is examined from the perspective of child hood giftedness as a precursor to development of eminence and implicat ions are drawn for the education of gifted and talented children.