Futures: The Great Turn

In the same way as there are many futures, not just one, there are many ways to conceive and practice foresight. The challenge of the great turning point of our civilization is to free ourselves from our prejudices in order to imagine and build desirable futures. The process is, by nature, ethical and prospective.

In a complex, uncertain and geopolitically transforming world, we must be open to the diversity of cultures and the different perceptions of the future. This requires us to reflect on the purpose and means of our societies.

Futures proposes different cultural and ethical views on civilizational transformation by offering a rare, transnational panorama of the visions of the future in a European, American and Chinese context. Through numerous examples, this book illustrates how foresight is practiced and what this can achieve in strategic terms.

Carine Dartiguepeyrou is a political scientist and independent futurist, who is currently collaborating with the Department of Foresight at the Université Catholique de Lille, France.

Michel Saloff-Coste is the Director of Foresight at the Université Catholique de Lille, France, and an adviser to public and private organizations.