Becker Ingrid; Michaela Haase; Verena Rauen

The relation between the past and the future serves as a point of departure for theories and perspectives in philosophy and economics. It is therefore not surprising that the economic philosophy also addresses this relation. The economist and philosopher Frank Knight had already pointed out a paradox in this relationship, which arises from the realization that the mere possibility of solving future problems rests on knowledge generated in the past for a future in which social reality may have changed. Building on this insight, our special issue brings together ontological, epistemological, pragmatic, and normative questions that arise in economics, philosophy, and ethics, and demonstrates how different conceptualizations of this relationship can shape core concepts in these disciplines, such as agency, change, and responsibility. We view uncertainty as an opportunity to rethink these concepts, highlighting forms of knowledge, judgment, and practical orientation that become indispensable once continuity can no longer be taken for granted and certainty fades. However, expectations, which are inevitably based on past experiences, do not rule out open possibilities.