FUTURE GENERATIONS THINKING

Future generations thinking provides a non-Western reading of space, t ime, nature and self, contrasting itself with the liberal openness of much of futures studies by asserting a non-negotiatable core. This inc ludes a commitment to the family as a basic unit of analysis; inclusio n of all sentient beings; belief in the repeatability of time; an inte r-generational approach balancing ancestors and future generations; su stainable social and economic practices; a global focus; a spiritual a nd collective view towards choice and rationality; and the realization of a global ethics beyond postmodernity. In practice, however, future generations thinking often falls short of its claims. Nevertheless, i f future generations thinking can become authentically multi-civilizat ional, it could create a new history for future generations. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.