Imagine if the future wasn't just something that happened to us, but a muscle we could collectively flex. For many of us, 'the future' feels like a vague abstraction or a blank space that we only worry about when a crisis hits. But what if we could transform that uncertainty into a robust social capacity, as fundamental to our civilization as law or education?

In this episode, we dive into Richard Slaughter’s influential framework for moving futures thinking from an individual biological trait to a shared social resource. Slaughter argues that while humans have an innate capacity for foresight, our current institutions are trapped in short-term cycles and 'business-as-usual' thinking. He outlines a layered approach to bridge this gap, starting with individual perception and moving progressively through specialized concepts, analytic tools, and institutional applications. It’s a roadmap for shifting from being passive recipients of change to active participants in shaping a sustainable world order.

This work is more than just a theory; it’s a sharp critique of the 'degraded' futures offered by popular culture and a challenge to the dominant economic discourses that ignore the needs of those yet to be born. By unpacking the 'amplitude' of futures tools and the role of critical scholarship, Slaughter provides a vision for a 'foresight culture' that can navigate the great transitions of the 21st century. We explore how embedding these practices in schools and universities can turn the future from a source of anxiety into a powerful principle for present action.

Tune in as we unpack how to move from individual foresight to a society that truly honors the needs of future generations.

Ref:
Richard A. Slaughter. From individual to social capacity. Futures, 28, 1996, 751-762. ISSN 0016-3287.