Speaker: Ruben Nelson
Topic: The Root (Meta) Challenge of the 21st Century: Why Don’t We Get It?
Time: 5 March 2025
Summary:
We know that our apprehension of reality determines our responses to it. Our choice, as Wittgenstein pointed out, is to “understand or die.” Given this, best we get serious about learning to see, explore, and reflexively understand and test the adequacy of our routine ways of understanding. We should pay special attention to surfacing and exploring our unconscious and implicit understandings of reality, the Earth, life, our species, our cultures, ourselves and the root challenges of our times. I shall offer reasons why we who have been formed as Modern Techno-Industrial (MTI) persons in MTI families, communities and cultures should be especially cautious. Put simply, we continue to naively assume that the future belongs to us, when even now it is slipping through our fingers. I shall explain why and what options are open to us.
Bio:
Ruben was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada by strong prairie women; educated at Queen’s University, Kingston, Queen’s Theological College, Kingston, and United Theological College, Bangalore, India. This background enabled me to become a Canadian pioneer of serious futures studies and strategic foresight and to pursue my passion to make reliable sense of our times. I have taught at Queen’s and the University of Calgary; worked for a host of clients in and beyond Canada; conceived and created new institutions. Today, I am Executive Director of Foresight Canada and a member of the Board of both Ralph Connor Memorial United Church and CACOR.
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