Intending Emergence

As already suggested in previous chapters the way we think about the world influences what we do, like how we practise strategy. Chapter 2 identified and described the possibility of ‘intending emergence’ as one of the distinguishing characteristics of play not found in work. As such, this ambiguous notion is a cornerstone for practising Thinking from Within. The concept of intending emergence is a deep one as it touches how we view the world and what is possible to control. In philosophy this is called ontology, which is the study of existence and the nature of reality. Ontology is a systematic account of existence, of what it is that makes up or defines reality, that is, the objects, concepts and other entities that are assumed to exist. To examine ontology is to examine the often unspoken, unrealized assumptions that comprise our understanding of what it is that exists. In its simplest form, which is the focus of this chapter, the ontological discussion is relatively uncomplicated since the choice is simple: either we view the world as inherently static, with occasional fluctuation, or we view the world as inherently dynamic, with occasional episodes of stability.