Giving Attribution in History
We can see the origins of giving credit for creative work within the European Renaissance. Of course, authors and creators were given attribution for their work prior to this time, but some things happened that changed the culture of attribution starting from about the 15th century.
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| Preliminary drawing of Michelangelo's "Libyan" |
For one thing, the secular shift that began at this time put focus increasingly on human ability and accomplishments, not just on divine activity or the work of great people of the distant past. The flurry of creative work in the Renaissance (painting, architecture, poetry, philosophy, etc.) was also accompanied by a medium that made it more possible (and desirable) to give or receive credit for one's accomplishments--the printing press. Individual achievement could be accompanied by individual fame. And so we began to have a Brunelleschi, a Michelangelo, a Petrarch, a Shakespeare. In a period when self-fashioning was in fashion, it became fashionable to achieve notoriety as an individual artist, author, or creator.
This focus on the identity and increasingly, the originality of the individual creator would be amplified in future centuries, especially in the 18th century (where regular, inexpensive newspapers created a market for celebrity), and in the 19th century (when Romanticism idealized creators and creative genius).
Recognizing the achievements of individuals was not a feature of medieval society, by and large, but over the last few centuries this has become enshrined in western culture (less so in the East), and has been codified in law by way of intellectual property concepts and regulation.
This means we must respect and attend to intellectual property, especially in this, our digital day. How do we do so?
