Reclaiming uncertainty with para-rational methods
This paper is the theoretical complement to the practical component of a larger body of research on the role of prediction (Mood Radar and Prediction TV). The overarching objective is to question discourse regimes and how they shape reality through the management and construction of acceptable knowledge. Para-rationalism is explored as a method to simultaneously problematise and straddle the rational/irrational dichotomy. Divination can be seen as an example of para-rationalism and is addressed through the notions of paradox, synchronicity, truth as a model and self-fulfilling prophecies. In modern secular society, the legacy of divination can be traced in the contemporary use of predictive algorithms, seizing on their utility for surveillance and market driven incentives in the name of progress.... more
