Thinking about future/democracy: towards a political theory of futurity

Abstract

Today, representative politics are often perceived as being primarily concerned with short-term goals. Moreover, the future appears to be pre-determined by economic or technological necessities. This 'closing' of the future, however, becomes increasingly problematic in the face of global existential crises, such as environmental depletion and climate change. These catastrophic developments could only be mitigated by immediate, decisive political interventions, which would amount to systemic changes that redirect technological research and economic activities. This article seeks to outline how political theory and philosophy can contribute to "(re-)Politicizing the Future". I argue that political thought should take temporality, and in particular futurity, as a central conceptual and methodological concern. Drawing on the works of prominent twentieth century thinkers such as Hannah Arendt, Stanley Cavell, and Jacques Derrida, I want to develop a deepened analytical understanding of the possibility for a 'future directed' political thought which highlights intrinsic connections between sustainability and democracy.

Can space be conceptualized in a different way in political discourse? An extended application of Discourse Space Theory

“…In other words, the discourse producer with a cooperative stance tend to discursively develope a broader vision into the future as well as the past with “remote past/future” representation, in some cases with explicit temporal terms denoting “remote past/future” like “long-cherished” “long ago” “long history” and “everlasting” “sustainable” “over the long run,” etc. (Ma, 2021), represented as the extension of the time axis (Figure 4), to highlight what have done good to all parties and what can be expected in the future, providing rationale for the present course of plan to compromise and collaborate with each other, which is a way of “future directed political action and thinking” (Kelz, 2019).…”

Visions of the good future

“…Political systems are the result of several overlapping processes that do not follow any necessary pathways. In contrast to many other forms of rule, the idea of (political) democracy presupposes its own contingent foundation (Kelz 2019). Democratic politics consequently leans on the idea that there is no single, correct understanding of the world.…”

“…[12] Anna Friberg it could help us to highlight that the present -while not arbitrary -is contingent (Hoy 2009;Kelz 2019). Thus, making historical contingency explicit could enable a continuous renegotiation of possible futures.…”

“…For political possibilities to be discernible, the future must be open, at least to some degree. If the future is fully determined, there is no space for imagining, creating, planning, or deliberating (Kelz 2019;Nordblad 2021). How issues are conceptualized and how narratives are constructed is therefore crucial.…”

Philosophy of future: analytical overview of interaction between education, science, and artificial intelligence in the context of contemporary challenges

“…Some recent philosophical perspectives view the future as a concrete reality that is going to happen (Todd, 2023), while other findings conceptualize the future as a mere abstraction or construct of human consciousness (Poli, 2019). In the context of social and political philosophy, the future is often related to sustainable development, justice, and collective action oriented to achieve a common goal (Kelz, 2019). The visions of the future shape ideologies, social movements, and utopian narratives about the direction of society.…”