Future Studies and Counterfactual Analysis: Seeds of the Future [Paperback]

In this volume, the authors contribute to futures research by placing the counterfactual question in the future tense. They explore the possible outcomes of future, and consider how future decisions are turning points that may produce different global outcomes. This book focuses on a dozen or so intractable issues that span politics, religion, and technology, each addressed in individual chapters. Until now, most scenarios written by futurists have been built on cause and effect narratives or depended on numerical models derived from historical relationships. In contrast, many of the scenarios written for this book are point descriptions of future discontinuities, a form allows more thought-provoking presentations. Ultimately, this book demonstrates that counterfactual thinking and point scenarios of discontinuities are new, groundbreaking tools for futurists.

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: True or False: The Problem Here is Identifying What is True and What is Not.- Chapter 3: Proliferation: Doomsday or Politics? The Problem Here is Controlling Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction.- Chapter 4: The Bounds of Humanity: Will Malthus Ultimately Be Proven Correct? The Problem Here is that We Don't Know How to Limit Population Growth or if New Policies are Really Necessary. Can We Leave it to Chance?.- Chapter 5: The Beginning and Hereafter: Why do We Exist?.- Chapter 6: Immortality: Where Does the Need to be Remember.- Chapter 7: Religion: The Problem Here is that in Religion, as well as Other Institutions, We See Corruption, Immorality, Ethical Lapses, and Abuses. In its Entwinement with Government: Who Makes and Enforces Laws, Sets Education Standards, and Provides Security: the People, the King, or God?.- Chapter 8: Decision Making: The Talent for Decisions. The Problem Here is that Most Decisions Turn out Badly.- Chapter 9:Dealing with Bio-terrorism: The Problem Here is that Terrorism can Adopt Biologicallój