In this post, I’ll help clarify the concept of Cultural Maturity by taking a quick look at how it compares and contrasts with other views of our long-term future In my upcoming book, Cultural Maturity: A Guidebook for the Future, I divide the commonly encountered views of the future into five “scenarios” (to use the language of futurists): We’ve Arrived Scenarios We’ve Gone Astray Scenarios Postindustrial/Information Age Scenarios Postmodern/Constructivist Scenarios Transformational/New Paradigm Scenarios I think of these scenarios not so much as logically arrived at conclusions than as reflections of differing psychological orientations. I’ll outline them briefly here to help bring focus to what Cultural Maturity is—and is not. In later posts I’ll discuss them one at a time and look more closely at how each relates to [...]
"The Big Picture"
Bit Picture Posts include contributions of a more overarching or conceptual sort. Ideas may have their origins in the thinking of any cultural sphere or conceptual persuasion, but they share that they contribute in some significant way to culturally mature understanding. Posts will sometimes be followed by a brief summary using Creative Systems Theory language those who are familiar with the theory’s ideas. . On occasion, posts will specifically introduce notions from the theory.
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Featured Book Title from ICD Press
My new general audience book Cultural Maturity—A Guidebook for the Future should be available in prepublication, review copy form in June with formal publication by year’s end. Editorial writers, bloggers, reviewers, and professors interested in receiving a review copy should contact me directly (see contact page.) Two shorter works Humanity at the Threshold—A Brief Introduction to the Concept of Cultural Maturity and Quick and Dirty Answers to the Biggest of Questions will also be released this year. (See ICD Press page for detials.) Charles Johnston.
Cultural Maturity—A Guidebook for the Future describes how the future will require not just fresh ideas, but an essential ‘growing up’ as a species. It closely examines this needed next step in our collective development, what it asks of us and what it makes possible. It also examines how these changes are already beginning to happen, in subtle ways altering every part of our human landscape. The book’s core idea, the concept of Cultural Maturity, provides both big-picture perspective for understanding the times we live in and concrete tools for addressing the immense challenges that lie before us. If the concept of Cultural Maturity is correct, it describes changes that are as or more significant than those that brought us modern democratic governance 250 years ago. If it is not correct, it is hard to imagine a healthy and vital human future.
