Time’s Harvest, Fall 1997

Essay 4 Questions

Back to course Welcome...

Essay 4 covers Foundations of Futures Studies.

  1. Describe the concepts of possible, probable and preferable futures. How many times are these concepts discussed in this book? Why do you think they are discussed so often?
  2. As described in this book, how do futurists believe that the future comes about? What influences do futurists believe shape what actually happens? Feel free to compare or contrast this view with your own view.
  3. From what you have seen of this course so far, and looking at the syllabus as an indication of how the course will go for the balance of the semester, how does this class fit into the Interdisciplinary Studies Program? If you feel that it fits well, make a proposal for a second futures course. If you feel that it does not fit well, propose changes to the course so that it will fit better.
  4. This book states several times that we all must have some idea of the future in order to act in the present, and that the individual’s idea of the future shapes our actions. Describe your own idea of the future. How much do you rely on this idea of the future? Give some concrete examples. How did you acquire your view of the future? Is it fair or useful to discuss the foundation of your view of the future in epistemological terms, as is done in this book? Epistemologically, how valid is your idea of the future?
  5. Humans must act, and must use assumptions about the effects of their actions. And yet, the assumptions are fallible. What strategies can we use to make our assumptions as accurate as possible, and to protect ourselves if the assumptions are wrong?
  6. What should be the goal or goals of a course in Futures Studies in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program (ISP)? (Bear in mind that ISP is directed towards working adults.) What are some specific activities that could be used in such a course? Are there any particular teaching methods that would be more appropriate. (Some traditional teaching methods are: lecture, reading, discussion, simulation or role-playing, small-group work, exhibition of slides or movies, library research, laboratory experiments, writing, testing, one-on-one tutoring, problem-solving, conducting interviews and surveys inside or outside the class, and modeling behavior.)