The Evolutionary Dynamics of Expectations: Interactions among Codes in Inter-Human Communications

30 Pages Posted: 7 Jul 2020 Last revised: 25 Aug 2020

See all articles by Loet Leydesdorff

Loet Leydesdorff

University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR)

Franz Hoegl

Denkmalneu

Date Written: August 25, 2020

Abstract

Double contingency—each of us (Ego) expects others (Alter) to entertain expectations as we entertain them ourselves—can be considered as the micro-operation of an above-individual (i.e., social) logic of expectations. Meaning is provided to events from the perspective of hindsight, but with reference to horizons of meaning. Whereas “natural selection” is based on genotypes that are observable (like DNA), cultural selection mechanisms are not hard-wired, but evolve. The “genotypes” of cultural evolution are codes in the communication which can operate as selections upon one another. Local instantiations shape trajectories; regimes operate as selection pressure with reference to the next-order horizons of meaning. These orders of expectations can operate incursively and hyper-incursively against the arrow of time and thus generate redundancies: (i) horizons of meaning can be expected to overlap and (ii) distinctions generate new options enlarging the maximum capacities. Information theory and the theory of anticipatory systems can be used for the elaboration of operations against the arrow of time. New options can be a synergetic effect of interactions among codes in the communication and serve as sources of wealth in a knowledge-based economy.

Keywords: Sociology, Communication Theory, Theory of Knowledge, Codes, Expectation, Monism

Suggested Citation

Leydesdorff, Loet and Hoegl, Franz, The Evolutionary Dynamics of Expectations: Interactions among Codes in Inter-Human Communications (August 25, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3625512 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3625512

Loet Leydesdorff (Contact Author)

University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) ( email )

PO Box 15793
Amsterdam, 1001 NG
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://www.leydesdorff.net

Franz Hoegl

Denkmalneu ( email )

, Am Bichlerhof 3, 83646 Bad Tölz
Germany

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