Futurology

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BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Futurology

After a day of ministry work, I thought I would seek to write a new article, as in dealing with a new term, to me.

Philosopher Blackburn explains that futurology is the activity of predicting the state of the world at a future time. (151). This is often considered a pseudo-science (151) as this approach deals with complex academic fields such as social, political, economical, technological, nature, the environment.

Implied from Blackburn is that the approach is too simplistic and naive to be real science, in many cases.

What comes to mind, non-exhaustively under the futurology umbrella:

Those that attempt to predict radical changes in technological trends. (For example, that computers will eventually control humankind).

Those who predict various apocalypses, within the Christian Church and outside, without generally giving proper intention and attention to eschatology and the book of Revelation is context.

Idealists that would like to replace religion and God (s) with human utopias of the future.

Some of those that that hold to scientism and reason that in the end science can solve all human problems and therefore there is no fallen, corrupted, human nature in need to the salvific work of Christ in atonement and resurrection. No need for God or a new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21-22).

Britannica

Futurology, in the social sciences, the study of current trends in order to forecast future developments. While the speculative and descriptive aspects of futurology are traceable to the traditions of utopian literature and science fiction, the methodology of the field originated in the “technological forecasting” developed near the end of World War II, of which Toward New Horizons (1947) by Theodore von Kármán is an important example.

Points for me, I mentioned utopia before I read it in Britannica or anywhere...