Novelty(recenzní výtisk)

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Art and science share a common drive for the new—new ideas, innovations, and perspectives. However, this quest raises a philosophical dilemma: if everything originates from something, can anything truly be new? Michael North explores this intricate issue over two millennia, tracing thoughts from pre-Socratics to the art movements of the 1960s and '70s. He reveals that the debate's foundations were laid before Plato and have scarcely evolved since: novelty is seen as arising from either recurrence or recombination. Recurrence reflects nature's cycles, while recombination is evident in language, together accounting for most conceptions of novelty in Western history, including reformation, renaissance, invention, revolution, and evolution. North's exploration spans centuries and disciplines, incorporating diverse figures like Charles Darwin, Robert Smithson, Thomas Kuhn, Ezra Pound, Norbert Wiener, and Andy Warhol, each offering unique insights into the nature of newness. He argues that novelty remains a pressing issue in contemporary science and literature—an elusive concept that continues to challenge and inspire modern thought. This ambitious work is a rich intellectual exploration, offering profound insights and a masterful synthesis of ideas.