Thinking and Writing With Ontological Time in Qualitative Inquiry

A chronological conception of time appears to implicitly guide most, if not all, of qualitative research. Chronological time is so pervasive and powerful that it operates essentially unnoticed, functioning as a kind of grand narrative in qualitative inquiry. Ontological time is introduced as a counterpart to chronological time and is shown to function as the “outside” of chronological time. Ontological time, however, cannot be experienced or thought: It consists of a past that never took place and a future that can never arrive. Deleuze’s formulation of ontological time as Aion is discussed, and Joyce’s final novel, Finnegans Wake, is examined as an example of writing that strives to incorporate ontological time. Portmanteau words and writing that takes into account the role and movement of Aion are then examined as two specific ways in which qualitative writing can be informed by an ontological conception of time.