Speculation: A Cultural History from Aristotle to AI

We still resort to speculation in the modern world because it has played a crucial role in how we create and potentially destroy the future, despite advances in scientific and statistical reasoning. Gayle Rogers' book explores debates over speculation from antiquity to the present, arguing that what has always been at stake is the authority to produce and control knowledge about the future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2021
Publisher: Columbia University Press

In the modern world, despite advancements in scientific and statistical reasoning, we continue to engage in speculation, creating scenarios about the future with little or no evidence. This hypothetical way of thinking often sparks controversy, even when it proves prophetic of the world we inhabit. In this comprehensive cultural, literary, and intellectual history, Gayle Rogers explores debates over speculation from antiquity to the present. Initially celebrated as the pinnacle of human mental powers by Boethius, speculation was later denounced as sinful by John Calvin. However, it eventually became central to the scientific revolutions new methods of understanding the natural world. In the nineteenth century, writers like Jane Austen used speculation to diagnose the marriage market, redefining it as a tool for social critique. Speculation has played a significant role in the development of modern capitalism, driving booms, busts, and bubbles, and recently, artificial intelligence has automated the speculation previously done by humans, raising uncertain and troubling consequences. By unraveling these histories and other disputes, Rogers argues that what has always been at stake in arguments over speculation is the authority to produce and control knowledge about the future. This book offers a fresh perspective on centuries of contests over the power to anticipate tomorrow, revealing the crucial role speculation has played in shaping our ability to create and potentially destroy the future.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231200202