Does originality include putting old ideas together in new ways?

Question

Is there an example of a new theory or idea that was formed from putting old ideas together?

Answer 1

I definately think so. Take music for example.  There are only 12 possible notes to choose from. And while they are many musicians out there with an original sound, every single chord they could possibly play has been played already.

Answer 2

The word 'originality' is derived from 'origin'...... on that basis, I would say that originality needs to be fundamentally creative rather than merely innovative. However, these days, the word is used very loosely to describe anything and everything that is not a copy.

Answer 3

yes im guessing it does.

using an old or used idea, and making it new or giving it new aspects and meaning is often called "recontexualisation" or "appropriation".

an example of this is Leonardo Davinci's Mona Lisa.

a post modernist artist by the name of Duchamp then took the painting of mona lisa and painted a moustache over her face.  http://amyking.files.wordpress.com/2008/...

more mona lisa recontexualisations:

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s235/...

http://www.pinktentacle.com/images/mutan...

http://home.hetnet.nl/~bk69/Bean%20Mona%...

http://ideasmanv2.files.wordpress.com/20...

hope i helped

peace & love

Answer 4

yes of course

every single idea humans have comes from other ideas

everything you see ,hear, learn will be part of a new idea ans since you thought that up yourself, its original

:)

Answer 5

Primarily, yes.

Answer 6

yes.

the 'metaphysics of quality' by Robert Pirsig (moq.org) was inspired by the beliefs of socrates and the sophist teachers of ancient greece - such teachers as whose rhetoric was subjugated by the lesser arguments of Plato through the use of persuasive language ( in the discourses etc..)  to make one less quality theory ( Plato's truth ) appear to be of greater value than the superior one.(Socrates' good ) this pursuit of truth over quality has had massive ramifications for how our society developed.

in the world around us today it seems quite obvious to me that what is good needs to be concentrated on ...and here already, thanks to mr Pirsig,  is the M.O.Q. the framework to do exactly that.