An Impressionistic Look Back at Half a Century of Futuribles
de Jouvenel, Hugues
An Impressionistic Look Back at Half a Century of Futuribles - 2025.
79
For us, this last issue of 2025 has provided the final opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of Futuribles. The journal was launched in 1975, right at the end of the post-war boom and just a few years on from the 1973 oil crisis, the first of a lasting series of—economic, geopolitical, ecological and social—crises to which no end seems to be in sight. In that context of nascent crisis and intellectual fervour, which the founder and editor-in-chief of Futuribles Hugues de Jouvenel recalls at the beginning of his article, interest in foresight studies united a broad community across the globe intent on demonstrating how long-term thinking could contribute positively to the common good. It was in this context that the journal was launched, with a desire to bring its readers the most solid information and analyses for understanding the world around them, and to act in all conscience to modify—or simply to prepare to deal with—the course of events, based upon what might reasonably be anticipated. Its multidisciplinary aim and its staying power through five decades characterized by profound (technological, social, political and environmental) change make it, if not a unique publication, then at least an atypical one, of which this ‘retrospective’ offers a brief survey. Without any claim to exhaustiveness (impossible given the more than 2,500 articles published), Hugues de Jouvenel reminds us here of the conditions in which Futuribles came into being, the personalities from all backgrounds who joined in the adventure, the objectives that drove it and that drive it still—beginning with the aim of offering tools for action rather than mere reaction. He shows the range of subjects covered in these last 50 years on some key themes (among many others): the environment, natural resources and ecology; research, science and technology; population, society and lifestyles. Has the journal had sufficient impact? Has it succeeded in curbing certain developments or accelerating others? It is difficult to say. What is certain, however, is that, because of the proliferation of crises (ecological, health-related, economic, social, geopolitical etc.) of a character that is now more systemic than ever, the last few years have seen an increased interest in foresight studies. One further reason, if any were needed, to press on with the venture…
An Impressionistic Look Back at Half a Century of Futuribles - 2025.
79
For us, this last issue of 2025 has provided the final opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of Futuribles. The journal was launched in 1975, right at the end of the post-war boom and just a few years on from the 1973 oil crisis, the first of a lasting series of—economic, geopolitical, ecological and social—crises to which no end seems to be in sight. In that context of nascent crisis and intellectual fervour, which the founder and editor-in-chief of Futuribles Hugues de Jouvenel recalls at the beginning of his article, interest in foresight studies united a broad community across the globe intent on demonstrating how long-term thinking could contribute positively to the common good. It was in this context that the journal was launched, with a desire to bring its readers the most solid information and analyses for understanding the world around them, and to act in all conscience to modify—or simply to prepare to deal with—the course of events, based upon what might reasonably be anticipated. Its multidisciplinary aim and its staying power through five decades characterized by profound (technological, social, political and environmental) change make it, if not a unique publication, then at least an atypical one, of which this ‘retrospective’ offers a brief survey. Without any claim to exhaustiveness (impossible given the more than 2,500 articles published), Hugues de Jouvenel reminds us here of the conditions in which Futuribles came into being, the personalities from all backgrounds who joined in the adventure, the objectives that drove it and that drive it still—beginning with the aim of offering tools for action rather than mere reaction. He shows the range of subjects covered in these last 50 years on some key themes (among many others): the environment, natural resources and ecology; research, science and technology; population, society and lifestyles. Has the journal had sufficient impact? Has it succeeded in curbing certain developments or accelerating others? It is difficult to say. What is certain, however, is that, because of the proliferation of crises (ecological, health-related, economic, social, geopolitical etc.) of a character that is now more systemic than ever, the last few years have seen an increased interest in foresight studies. One further reason, if any were needed, to press on with the venture…
Réseaux sociaux