Tools to Remember an Ever-changing Past

The traditional system of loci presupposes a unique order of the universe that is true, given, fixed and the same for everyone. For a long time, this undisputed order was the basis for many uses of ars excerpendi, which its proponents intended to help explore and confirm. However, as in many other cases, this technique operates as a preadaptive advance and goes in a direction that differs from its intentions and the awareness of those who are using it, favouring a critical approach and shifting the emphasis from preservation of the past to preparation for the future. The future appears to be an increasingly more open and unpredictable horizon located in the realm of novelty and surprise.