Re: <nettime> Fwd: Re: Forms of decisionism

[Morlock Elloi <morlockelloi@gmail.com>]

The problem with global social theories that deal with long time 
constants is that they are next to impossible to prove, unless one has 
access to parallel universes (even assuming that existence of correct 
theory is possible, which may not be true due to the underlining 
complexity which at some point may connect to quantum noise and Heisenberg.)

This resulted in various constructions used to promote specific agendas 
of their constructors, while excusing the process on the plausible 
theory (if A then B, trust us.) Anyone can make one, but those with 
power will have real fun. And they do.

The theory construction itself may offer good insight into the societies 
that construct them (not unlike the instrumentalization of utopias in 
Jameson's "Archaeologies of the Future".)

What I think is the recent novel component, is virtualization of causes 
and effects which leans on the basic fallacy of Big Data ("sufficient 
number of data points must make sense"). While the resulting recursion 
makes it impossible to even grasp what the theory is saying, there is a 
*faith* component that somehow it will, at some point, become clear, 
just trust us in the meantime. Instead of drawing on ideals and morality 
(so 20th century), these are drawing on the new faith (promoted by 5 
corporations, making power grab in intelligentsia-space.)

In the meantime the pragmatists fall back on local theories with short 
time constants, which work well ("if you shoot enough people that are 
bothering you, you will be bothered less.") Judging by the past few 
years, pragmatists are getting the upper hand.

It's hard to say which kind is less damaging.


On 7/17/16 7:35 , Felix Stalder wrote:

> The approach has much to offer, not the least that brings into view
> complex, large-scale and heterogeneous dynamics that nevertheless
> follow some internal logic. It also suggests that is it is possible
> to spot patterns of the new paradigm early on. Following this theory,
> we can except a transformation from an informational paradigm to some
> sort of ecological paradigm, which could range from eco-fasicsm (build
> a wall, let them drown!) to some sort of federation of resilient
> communities (p2p society).

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