Deep Origins of Innovation (Part I/III): Creation of Novelty

Abstract

The phenomenon Innovation is the subject of broad scholarly attention. From the 1960s on, from many points of view and in many perspectives, scholars created with their views, theories and models of innovation the body of knowledge we call the Concept of Innovation. Each with its own definition, creating quite a heterogeneity in the definitions, as well as a great diversity in the resulting views on innovations. Looking for a common ground in the Concept of Innovation, going to the deep roots of the concept by exploring the Nature of Innovation, this article focusses on the deep Origins of Innovation. Origins that can be found in human behaviour. Exploring brains and behaviour—by using a Computational Metaphor—a model of the mental processes resulting in novelty is presented in a narrative form. The model unfolds the mental processes that are fundamental to the creation of Novelty executed by Homo Creativus that shape the Affairs of Man over time. This working paper is the first of three working papers into the Deep Origin of Innovation. It is based on the case study ’Origins of Innovation, Ancient (R)evolutions in Perpective.’