Creation, abductive reasoning and admirableness in the Big Data era

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the role played by abductive reasoning and admirableness in the creative processes in the Big Data era. The conceptions of creativity, in the mechanistic and anti-mechanistic scope, are introduced by means of examples in the domain of photographic production, as is the case of Maureen Bisilliat (1995) and Nan Goldin (2012) works. As our investigation is essentially theoretical and interdisciplinary, it is mainly based on the literature on the concepts of creativity, abductive reasoning, and admirableness; it is grounded in different areas of knowledge, including Pragmatism, Literature, Visual arts and the Philosophy of Information. We discuss the limitations of mechanistic conceptions of creativity, arguing in defense of the hypothesis that creative action is not strictly related to the created object, but to a long collaborative process between agents that will assist (directly or indirectly) in the production of artistic works. In the conclusion, the role of emotions is highlighted in the dynamics of the creative/abductive process, as proclaimed by Charles Sanders Peirce (1958). Inspired by this author, we emphasize the role of admirableness in the process of creation – understood here as a feeling that encourages us to investigate and get to know the objects that attract our attention, without the desire for controlling them.