“I don’t understand.” “How did people go along with that?” “What were they thinking?” These are some of the questions that come up most often when discussing political decisions of the past. Jonathan White’s In The Long Run: The Future As A Political Idea seeks to answer them.
An insightful read that demonstrates the power that the idea of future has had over our collective present, In The Long Run explores the place of futurological thinking in various political events and ideologies throughout history. White’s primary focus is on transitions into and out of democracy, from the French Revolution to the present day. Books focussing on one idea have the potential to be reductive, but White blends social, economic, and cultural history together to make compelling and well-considered arguments.
Using art and literature to ground his discussion in human elements that make abstract and distant ideas familiar to the modern reader, White makes it possible to understand how – wherever you are on the landscape – the potential of a better, brighter future can be used to make the individual do any number of things. Well-written and compelling, In the Long Run is a must-read for those looking for new insights into political decision-making.
In The Long Run: The Future As A Political Idea, Jonathan White (Profile)
Price: £20/£15.99 Ebook. Info: here
words HARI BERROW