Wendell Bell Bücher

Futures studies is a new field of inquiry involving systematic and explicit thinking about alternative futures. Wendell Bell's two-volume work Foundations of Futures Studies is widely acknowledged as the fundamental work on the subject. In Volume 2, Bell goes beyond possible and probable futures to the study of preferable futures . He shows that concern with ethics, morality, and human values follows directly from the futurist purposes of discovering or inventing, examining, and proposing desirable futures. He examines moral judgments as an inescapable aspect of all decision-making and conscious action, even in the everyday lives of ordinary people. Now available in paperback with a new preface from the author, Volume 2 of Foundations of Futures Studies moves beyond cultural relativism to critical evaluation. Bell compares depictions of the good society by utopian writers, describes objective methods of moral judgment, assesses religion and law as sources of what is morally right, documents the existence of universal human values, and shows that if human beings are to thrive in the global society of the future, some human values must be changed.

Futures studies is an emerging field focused on systematic exploration of alternative futures, aiming to clarify possibilities and enhance human agency over what lies ahead. This work summarizes and expands on the contributions of futurists to humanity's envisioning power and well-being. The author compiles essential intellectual tools, detailing the methods, concepts, theories, and examples within the field. The two-volume effort serves five key purposes: (1) to establish futures studies as a distinct intellectual domain, (2) to provide a foundational text for core courses, (3) to encourage interdisciplinary thinking among specialists, (4) to foster the advancement of futures studies, and (5) to equip individuals and leaders with tools to shape better futures for themselves and their communities. Despite its often pessimistic rhetoric and misuse by certain interests, the author argues that futures studies presents hope for humanity's future and practical strategies to achieve that hope in everyday life. This work will resonate with anyone interested in futures studies, as well as sociologists, economists, political scientists, and historians.