Legitimization As the Foundation of Innovative Societies

Successful innovation needs societal acceptance.  The societal legitimization is based on the societally accepted interpretation of the relevant societal tradition at the point in time in question.  A reinterpretation of a societal tradition occurs from time to time.  In this presentation, the causes for a reinterpretation in addition to the limitations thereof are assessed.  It will show that the relevant societal tradition sets unchangeable limits to innovation as well as time-dependent changeable limits.  In this presentation, the mechanism of a reinterpretation is assessed.  There may be innovation that can be legitimized in the context of one societal tradition and not in the context of another.  The predominance of the Occident for at least 300 years has camouflaged the limitations of the Occidental Tradition, but the rise of societies founded on other societal traditions, e.g., the Sino Tradition, will increasingly demonstrate the limitations of the Occidental Tradition in the context of innovation.