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The structures of uncertainty

Authors

  • Elena Esposito University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Abstract

The article reflects on the presuppositions and consequences of the concept of performativity (understood as the involvement of the observer in the objects and projects he/she describes). The paper proposes a wider notion of performativity concerning not only theory but also extended to the entire economy, which observes itself in all its operations. This conception has the advantage of being connected with critical approaches inside economics, which highlight the central role of uncertainty and surprise. It can explain how and why performativity turns into counter-performativity and how financial operators exploit uncertainty when orienting their behavior, expecting, and using the unpredictability of the future.

Keywords:

Performativity, Second order observation, Uncertainty, Risk, Derivatives

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