1. If, in our internally mediated world, we fail to recognize the role of imitation in innovation, I'm curious to what extent, in the past externally mediated world, we've failed to recognize (or at least discounted) innovation in imitation (e.g., I don't have a strong enough theological background to evaluate the claim that nothing was innovated at Nicaea).
2. It would be interesting to juxtapose this to Thiel's Zero to One.
3. It's funny that the latest "innovation" - LLMs - are simply imitation machines (stochastic parrots).
Thoughtful, with a caveat: “Zero to one” isn’t about newness—it’s about originality as a weapon, monopoly as a virtue, and innovation as the ultimate justification for power. In Thiel’s world, the future belongs to those bold enough to declare, “Let there be me—and only me.” - Otherwise, yes, "A lot to digest" here! I'm grateful.
Thanks, Luke! - A brilliant excavation—and subtle detonation—by Girard of the cult of innovation. (Yes, a mouthful!) Novelty without memory is just amnesia with better branding. The scandal isn’t that imitation underlies innovation, but that we pretend otherwise. Innovation often feels original only because we’ve forgotten our models. As Proust wrote, “The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument”—what we call new is often just what we finally recognize, as with this response I just wrote!
Damn, a banger indeed. A lot to digest.
3 quick thoughts.
1. If, in our internally mediated world, we fail to recognize the role of imitation in innovation, I'm curious to what extent, in the past externally mediated world, we've failed to recognize (or at least discounted) innovation in imitation (e.g., I don't have a strong enough theological background to evaluate the claim that nothing was innovated at Nicaea).
2. It would be interesting to juxtapose this to Thiel's Zero to One.
3. It's funny that the latest "innovation" - LLMs - are simply imitation machines (stochastic parrots).
Thoughtful, with a caveat: “Zero to one” isn’t about newness—it’s about originality as a weapon, monopoly as a virtue, and innovation as the ultimate justification for power. In Thiel’s world, the future belongs to those bold enough to declare, “Let there be me—and only me.” - Otherwise, yes, "A lot to digest" here! I'm grateful.
Thanks, Luke! - A brilliant excavation—and subtle detonation—by Girard of the cult of innovation. (Yes, a mouthful!) Novelty without memory is just amnesia with better branding. The scandal isn’t that imitation underlies innovation, but that we pretend otherwise. Innovation often feels original only because we’ve forgotten our models. As Proust wrote, “The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument”—what we call new is often just what we finally recognize, as with this response I just wrote!