EP 116: The ReInterviews - Richard Slaughter Part 2

The continuation of the ReInterview started in podcast 113. Richard discusses his new book, Deleting Dystopia: Re-asserting human priorities in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism.

Interviewed by: Peter Hayward

References

Download Deleting Dystopia: https://usq.pressbooks.pub/deletingdystopia/

 Promo video from USQ: https://vimeo.com/638931775

 Farewell Alternative futures: https://foresightinternational.com.au/publications/recent-work/

The notion of ‘alternative futures’ played a dominant role in the early development of futures studies and applied foresight (FSAF). But the optimism it once signified, the sense of unqualified agency, no longer rings true – or at least not as convincingly. The paper explores some of the grounds of this shift and considers a few of the implications. limitations of space dictate that the paper concentrates on four of many possible factors:

  • Global system change, the ‘great acceleration’ and emergence of the Anthropocene.

  • The rise of denialism and ‘unreality industries’ in inhibiting more constructive responses.

  • The role of forgotten, hidden or repressed aspects of the long ‘human story.’

  • Qualitative development and further evolution of methods within FSAF.