Jon Soske, a person in long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, is an activist, community organizer, researcher and systems designer whose work spans grass roots mutual aid to the political philosophy of the Global South and international development. Jon’s overarching concern is developing new solutions to the institutional paralysis that plays a critical role in what is increasingly called “crisis multiplication” or the “global polycrisis.” He is also interested in the centrality of science, especially social science, to democracy across its many guises.
In his current research, Jon is tackling the classic “large world” versus “small world” problem from Bayesian decision theory–is it possible to make rational decisions in conditions of radical uncertainty? He is approaching this question through the method of “systems mapping from below,” based on ongoing community-engaged research and ethnographic work with community health workers and peer recovery specialists.