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Premises | Premises | ||
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1. The Pascalian bet: one chance in 100 (or 1000) for humanity to survive the 21 st | 1. The Pascalian bet: one chance in 100 (or 1000) for humanity to survive the 21 st | ||
century? | century? | ||
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2. If that chance exists, we ought to be able to imagine it as sci-fi, no? | 2. If that chance exists, we ought to be able to imagine it as sci-fi, no? | ||
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3. The power of utopias to awaken people to struggle is proven | 3. The power of utopias to awaken people to struggle is proven | ||
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4. Today more than every people need a credible positive vision | 4. Today more than every people need a credible positive vision | ||
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5. Looking backward from the future has many advantages. | 5. Looking backward from the future has many advantages. | ||
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6. Marx’s believe in a future socialist society enabled him to analyze the present | 6. Marx’s believe in a future socialist society enabled him to analyze the present | ||
capitalist society as temporary, part of a series of societies that rise and fall. | capitalist society as temporary, part of a series of societies that rise and fall. | ||
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7. Looking backward simplifies complex situations as we “know” in what | 7. Looking backward simplifies complex situations as we “know” in what | ||
direction they are going. | direction they are going. | ||
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8. Looking backward as future historians keeps us from quarrelling like rival | 8. Looking backward as future historians keeps us from quarrelling like rival | ||
sectarians as we have all been dead for at least 70 years. | sectarians as we have all been dead for at least 70 years. | ||
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9. Basic rules for Future Historians: No Gods, no Extraterrestrials, no infallible | 9. Basic rules for Future Historians: No Gods, no Extraterrestrials, no infallible | ||
vanguard parties. Plurality of future societies and roads thereto. | vanguard parties. Plurality of future societies and roads thereto. | ||
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Methods (evolving) of our International Study Group and Collective Writing | Methods (evolving) of our International Study Group and Collective Writing | ||
Project | Project | ||
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During its first year, the Study Group outlined some twenty Study Topics, including | During its first year, the Study Group outlined some twenty Study Topics, including | ||
Economics, Energy, Women, Utopias etc. From week to week, we gathered materials | Economics, Energy, Women, Utopias etc. From week to week, we gathered materials | ||
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our WIKI at http://futurehistorians.org/doku.php?id=start The originality of our | our WIKI at http://futurehistorians.org/doku.php?id=start The originality of our | ||
project is threefold: | project is threefold: | ||
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1. Most previous utopian fictions don’t really tell us HOW people were about to | 1. Most previous utopian fictions don’t really tell us HOW people were about to | ||
get from capitalist barbarism to a better world | get from capitalist barbarism to a better world | ||
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2. The future societies proposed by Thomas Moore and his successors are all to | 2. The future societies proposed by Thomas Moore and his successors are all to | ||
an extent monolithic, from Bellamy’s rigid socialism of Looking Backward to | an extent monolithic, from Bellamy’s rigid socialism of Looking Backward to | ||
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Nowhere. Ours will be plural, pluralistic and planetary, with plenty of room | Nowhere. Ours will be plural, pluralistic and planetary, with plenty of room | ||
for variety and individual taste. | for variety and individual taste. | ||
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3. Often previous Utopias are not realistic, credible, in conformity with historical | 3. Often previous Utopias are not realistic, credible, in conformity with historical | ||
and scientific/technological knowns. | and scientific/technological knowns. | ||
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The solution to these problems we came up with is entitled: Then, Now, and How. It | The solution to these problems we came up with is entitled: Then, Now, and How. It | ||
takes the form of a history book aimed at young people a century from today, which | takes the form of a history book aimed at young people a century from today, which | ||
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the form of a Grid. This ever growing patchwork allows for great diversity and | the form of a Grid. This ever growing patchwork allows for great diversity and | ||
avoids sectarian rigidity. (Show demonstration on line). | avoids sectarian rigidity. (Show demonstration on line). | ||
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For THEN we patch together excerpts contemporary critical studies of capitalism into | For THEN we patch together excerpts contemporary critical studies of capitalism into | ||
a coherent narrative and then change the very tenses into the past. We call this the | a coherent narrative and then change the very tenses into the past. We call this the | ||
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into irrefutable historical accounts in the reader’s mind. Their long-dead authors get | into irrefutable historical accounts in the reader’s mind. Their long-dead authors get | ||
referenced as “prescient.” | referenced as “prescient.” | ||
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For NOW we borrow from every kind of predictive writing, fiction, authors | For NOW we borrow from every kind of predictive writing, fiction, authors | ||
advocating ideas like municipal socialism and solar communism. Only we change the | advocating ideas like municipal socialism and solar communism. Only we change the |