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Recursivity & Contingency
Contributor
Kan Li
In Recursivity and Contingency, Yuk Hui argues that recursivity marks an epistemological break from mechanism, signifying a shift toward systemic construction. Unlike mechanical repetition, recursivity embodies a self-referential, self-determining circular movement, where each iteration is infused with contingency, shaping its unique character. Here, contingency is essential since it enriches the system, allowing it to evolve.
Mechanism, by contrast, presupposes a linear causality, leading the quest for a primordial cause to either the notion of God or the notion of “pure Nature.” Here, “God” and “Nature” emerge as two interpretations under the same framework; for both the “people of Nature” and the “people of God,” existence unfolds within a cosmos without history, where every element is arranged according to a singular causal framework. In this view, blind causation governs lifeless matter, with all agency passive to its effects. Within this mechanistic model, contingencies are perceived as disruptions that interrupt the system.
However, in a nonreductionist world, contingency is embraced as essential; it is not an external, disruptive factor but rather a crucial component in determining purpose through an ongoing process. Within this framework, there is no externality. In other words, contingency is no longer something that evades the system, but as a pivotal element of the system itself. Consequently, achieving the ultimate purpose is not ensured by linear causality; rather, it is realised through each recursive instance with contingencies. Over time, this recursive unfolding generates complexities that defy simplification through mere computation.