FROM DYSTOPIAN TO HUMAN FUTURES: A THREAD TRUNCATED By Leopold P. Mureithi Co-Chair, The Millennium Project Kenya Node
C
ONTENT analysis of six books
dystopia. In Beyond Knowledge:
Technology and Society reflects
recently received in the Review
How Technology is Driving an Age
aspects of applications compatible with
Room reveals a core message of
of Consciousness, Halal looks at
avoidance of dystopia and the reification
moving f rom dystopia to a more human
macrohistory and sees a life cycle
of human-agency consciousness.
future. A long outstanding futurist,
of evolution (LCE). Though he does
Richard Slaughter, notes in his book
not explain why this is a “cycle”, he
corner” (Jarod Kintz), the Issue of the
Deleting Dystopia: Reasserting Human
notices an acceleration: “Roughly four
time scale to consider remains. To Priestly
Priorities in the Age of Surveillance
million years were needed to found
and Williams, it is simply the question of
Capitalism that “innovations initially
Agrarian Civilizations. Nine thousand
the relevant planning horizon: “whatever
regarded…as liberating and helpful have
years to invent Industrial Society. One
time horizon we are looking towards” (p.
become absorbed into an oppressive global
hundred years for the Post-Industrial
161). In addition to this freedom of choice
system….more dangerous and invasive with
Era. Five decades to a Knowledge Age.
of time f rame, critical to delineating the
each passing year….the tendency toward
And the past 20 years to an Age of
time perspective is the interplay between
unliveable dystopian futures is becoming
Consciousness….the inner terrain in which
uncertainly and plausibility – being
unavoidable” (pp 1-2). Surveillance
we live our lives….awareness, mood and
“long enough;” not strictly calendar
capitalism (SC) is a “mutant form of
understanding” (p. 30). This consciousness
dependent, and never ignoring the
capitalism that unilaterally claims human
revolution is likely to lead to “a tangible,
near-term because sometimes “the
experience as f ree raw material.” (p. 200).
productive and more meaningful way of
advanced civilization that we should really
To counter this technological dystopia,
life” (p. 34). This future is already evolving
worry about is one that is just 15 minutes
he prescribes deleting dystopia by
at present. Like William Ford Gibson
ahead….[not light years in the future]”
which he means “not about working to
wrote in The Economist of 4 December
(Woody Allen). According to Jim Dator’s
eliminate a powerful idea but, rather,
2003, “the future is already here -- it’s just
First Law, “one of the main tasks of futures
getting behind those human and social
not evenly distributed.”
studies is to identify and examine the
While “The future is right around the
The simplest definition of the future
major alternative futures that exist at any
its realisation as a radically diminished
is “any time f rom now;” and the past is
given time and place” (emphasis added).
condition of human life” (p. 192); this
“time gone.” Since this means that the
by promoting “human and cultural
“present” is a fleeting moment, one
great challenge now is, how to shape
development” (p. 198).
must agree with Theo Priestley and
a workable global Consciousness….to
forces that collectively move us away f rom
Recall Halal’s Beyond Knowledge: “the
Bronwyn Williams that they captured
become a mature civilization” (pp. 32-33,
a megatrend towards human
the reality in titling their book The
emphasis added). That “how” is dealt with
consciousness that could drive humanity
Future Starts Now. The sub-title Expert
by Claire Nelson’s SMART Futures for a
away from possible technological
Insights into the Future of Business,
Flourishing World: A Paradigm Shift
Fortunately, William Halal records
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HUMAN FUTURES
