On Founders

It seems to refer to a recurrent problem that may be described as the problem of founders and followers. The message of a successful founder of a movement, philosophy or religion is rarely simple. It appeals to many people because it has many aspects. Some followers emphasized one aspect, others another, according to their own interests or the situation in which they find themselves. Even more fundamental is the problem of the ‘inner conflict of traditions’, the inevitable conflict between universal rules and specific, ever-changing situations.

In other words, what is handed down changes – indeed, has to change – in the course of transmission to a new generation. (What is Cultural History, Peter Burke, p. 26-27)