Towards an ontology of the present moment

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to propose that conceptions of time and future that are currently in use restrict the possibilities for framing decision making. By privileging the notion of present moment over that of linear time, a more comprehensive framing of what it means to consider what influences our judgements. The ontology of the present moment provides a theoretical context for knowing what we can of the future in a more comprehensive way.Design/methodology/approach -A review of ways of knowing the future that extends beyond linear assumptions of time leads to consideration of anticipatory systems and of the relationship between purpose and causality. It leads further into conjecture that the present moment is more ontologically fundamental than what we customarily refer to as past, present and future.Findings -On this foundation, examination of experience of now reveals a multidimensionality which can include retrocausality, the possibility of the future influencing the present and the importance of latent patterning in determining events.Research limitations/implications -The notion of the present moment has much in common with second order cybernetics and indicates a possible way of bringing systems thinking, especially boundary critique, to futures thinking and strategic decision making. Practical implications -Although basically a theoretical paper, the framework does suggest possibilities for redesigning futures practice through using the present moment as a meta-framing critique technique to reveal more clearly underlying assumptions in both futures studies and systems thinking. Originality/value -In the context of a world where serious inability to see what is coming is pervasive in management and governance, a fresh look at fundamental assumptions may reveal flawed decision thinking and indicate ways of improvement.Paper type Research paper Dealing with the futurePicking up the theme of this special edition, this paper investigates the possibility of a different way of framing the future with implications for how we practice future studies, whether it be in the academic sphere or in professional practice. The main focus of this paper is on framing the ontology of the future as the ontology of the present moment but begins with examining the question ''what are the different ways that we claim to know the future?'' This is the epistemological view which reaches certain limits to deal with reflectivity, purpose and creativity. Moving on from there an ontological view is developed leading to the proposition that the present moment is more fundamental than time in terms of the conventional assumptions of the nature of past, present, and future and ''time's arrow''. This alternative viewpoint seeks to change our way of interpreting and perceiving the nature of the future, how it might be anticipated, and even how it may be influencing the present in ways that our conventional thinking has not been able to grasp.

Community resilience for a 1.5 °C world

“…This poses new challenges that require new approaches. While evidence from the past can help inform change, this can constrain imagination, creativity and possibilities for enacting change [52]. In contrast, enhancing community resilience requires conscious futures-oriented activities enabled through networks, behaviours, imagination, decisions, and collective action [53,54].…”

Transformation in a changing climate: a research agenda

“…Perhaps the most significant is that each view makes certain assumptions regarding the ontological nature of the future, assumptions which are not usually questioned. This results in a number of confusions in foresight practice (Hodgson, 2013). For example, deterministic methods are applied to situations which are complex and where 'expert' analysis can limit the anticipatory signals that can be picked up.…”

Knowing Differently in Systemic Intervention

“…So, in that “presence in the moment”, the “past” and the “future” too flowed into and informed the “present”. This has been described and explored in various bodies of literature, such as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Satchidananda, ), and for a contemporary example related to systems thinking, see Hodgson ().…”